Revived by Roses
by thegoatlady
Summary: Vampire Academy in Dimitri's POV. I kept reading these things, never satisfied at what I found, so I hope mine satisfies you! I will be uploading quickly, so please give this story a chance.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm really enjoying writing this, and I already have a few more chapters finished and ready to go up. I'd just like a little feedback first! I do fully intend to finish this story, so...**

 **Thanks, hope you enjoy!**

 **/**

"You will set out today. Do you have everything you will need for the hunt?" Headmistress Kirova inquired, her thin lips set in a hard line.

 _Hunt,_ I silently repeated. As if we were taking down a nest of Strigoi, instead of bringing two teenage girls back from their little runaway. I didn't say anything aloud, other than a simple, "Yes, Headmistress." I gave her a curt nod, my expression and tone of voice unchanging. I was respectful, down to business, ready to take on whatever duty she bestowed upon me. Because that was what a Guardian's job was; to serve and protect Moroi without question.

Headmistress Kirova nodded and strode back to her desk on her thin, lanky legs. Her pale face was twisted in distaste for the subject we were on. All Moroi had a similar build; tall, wispily thin bodies and pale, porcelain-doll features. Dhampirs were a general contrast for sure, looking more like humans than the Moroi ever could; though I knew my hulking frame looked ridiculous even in comparison to most other Dhampirs.

Kirova's eyes flicked up from her paperwork, as if wondering why I still stood silently in front of her desk, my hands clasped obediently in front of me. "Thank you, Guardian Belikov." It was a dismissal.

I made my way back to my room, letting my stiff posture relax slightly as I finished packing my bag. I'd only unpacked all of my things a week or so beforehand, after arriving at St. Vladimir's Academy, but I reminded myself as I checked all of the pockets for my extra weapons, that this was only for a few days away, and that I would be back soon. Hopefully with Rosemarie Hathaway and the last Dragomir Princess in tow.

After my first charge Ivan Zeklos had been killed on my watch, I had harbored a fair amount of uncertainty as to where I would end up next, and a great load of resentfulness towards myself for not being able to save him. _Stop it, Belikov,_ I chastised myself. _He wasn't killed on your watch._

I ran my hands through my shoulder length dark hair and eased myself onto the edge of my bed, thinking that perhaps _that_ was my problem. I hadn't been there to save him, and that was almost worse than if I had been there and had gotten killed alongside my best friend. I'd taken time away to go visit my family in Russia, knowing Ivan was safe with the company of his two other Guardians. I remember bragging to my sisters and my mother about what a great charge I had, and how I was looking forward to guarding him for years and years to come. Mama had baked my favorite, and when I'd walked in the door Black Bread had been perched on a cutting board in the center of the kitchen table, so fresh it was still steaming. The memories of only a year ago were so light, and they seemed to glide over my mind tauntingly, reminding me that a part of myself had been lost, and was never returning.

Checking my bag once more, I slid a small western novel into a side pocket for the plane ride to and from our lead in Portland. Knowing I was nearly finished with that one, I contemplated packing a second, but decided that if I finished it before we returned, I could just read back through my favorite parts. It wasn't as if I would be chatting with the other Guardians much, anyway.

I turned the lights out and slid under the covers, not even bothering to change out of my uniform before falling into a fitful sleep.

In the morning, I woke covered in sweat. My hands shook slightly as I showered and dressed. When I glanced in the mirror, my eyes were faintly lined in dark circles. It was the nightmares—or memories, more like. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ivan's body, mutilated and cold, eyes vacant. And in my unconscious hours, my mind liked to imagine what I hadn't been there to see with my own eyes; in my dreams, it was always a surprise which way he would be killed next. I gave myself the satisfaction of a full body shiver before I let the mask of indifference slide down to cover my features. With that, I grabbed my bag, turned out the lights, and headed off to board the plane.

As I strode toward the runway of the Academy's private plane, a gruff female voice called out from behind me. "Hey, Belikov! Wait a minute."

It was Guardian Petrov, loping towards me. She was older than I was by quite a bit, probably somewhere in her fifties, whereas I was only twenty-four. Petrov was the Head of Guardians at the Academy. Her hair was close cropped to her face in order to show off the _molnija_ marks tattooed onto the back of her neck. _Molnija_ marks were like badges of honor to Guardians; something similar to lightning strikes crossed in the form of an 'X', one for each Strigoi a Guardian killed to protect their Moroi. They were placed right below our tattooed promise mark, which sanctioned us as official Guardians. I had six _molnija_ marks, had killed six Strigoi in the last five years. I wasn't sure how many marks Petrov had.

"Dimitri," she said, stopping in front of me. "I just…I wanted to talk to you about Ms. Hathaway, the Dhampir girl you're going after?"

I nodded, quirking an eyebrow slightly. Of course I knew who Rosemarie Hathaway was; I'd studied her file restlessly, trying to predict what stunts she might pull. What would the Captain of the school's Guardians have to say about some rebel novice? Was she going to warn me about something?

Guardian Petrov was silent for a moment, seeming lost in thought. When she didn't speak for a moment, I placed a neutral hand on her shoulder. "Guardian Petrov?"

She seemed to snap out of it, and when her eyes found mine, the look of concern there reminded me startlingly of my own mother. "Please, Dimitri, call me Alberta." She fussed, momentarily distracted. She'd been reiterating this statement every time she'd seen me from the moment I'd arrived at the school. I allowed myself a small smile, and nodded.

"Okay, _Alberta_. What did you want to say about Rosemarie?"

The look of concern flooded back, and she continued. "I know it may not seem like it, but Rose is a good kid. I've watched the girl grow up, and she's always defending somebody. She's certainly got a fire to her, but I could guarantee the reason for her running away with Vasilisa mattered to her."

I opened my mouth to tell her I didn't necessarily care about the novice's motives—I only cared about getting my new Moroi charge back into safety—when she cut me off.

"I'm just saying, don't be too harsh on her if it's possible. We'll let Kirova take care of that." With a tight smile—laced with worry, I saw now—she strode away, back into the main building. Her words stewing in my mind, I climbed the steps of the plane, and made my place in the back, pulling my western from my bag as soon as it lifted from the ground. I tried to concentrate on the characters, but my eyes kept shifting out of focus, and I found myself reading the same passages over and over without really grasping them. With a sigh, I closed the book and leaned back in my seat, resting my eyes. We would be in Portland in less than two hours.

Rosemarie Hathaway.

I wondered if she was as well-meaning as Alberta had said. The girl's file certainly displayed a different story, but I trusted Guardian Petrov's judgment more than I trusted a file. And now that I thought back on it, the altercations recorded seemed to always be due to some act of justice on Ms. Hathaway's part. Maybe she was just a misunderstood kid, lashing out at whatever was near. Still, I could already tell she would be the biggest problem with getting the girls back to the Academy.

I hadn't even realized I'd drifted off until another one of the Guardians shook my shoulder, waking me. "Belikov, we're here." He said. I looked up. He was short, with a stocky build and a sandy-colored head of hair. Reynolds, I thought his name was.

"Okay." I cleared my throat and gathered my bag, stuffing my unread book haphazardly into it. When we stepped off the plane, the sunlight assaulted my eyes, and I groaned internally, knowing I would be jetlagged as hell by the time we made it back to the Academy. We got a few rooms at a nearby hotel, to freshen up and change into our gear. I highly doubted we'd be lucky enough to capture the girls on our first night, so we—a group of about ten Guardians—went ahead and planned to rent the rooms for the rest of the week.

That night as we headed out for our first stakeout, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the lobby of the hotel to wake myself up a bit. It was weak, and tasted like reused grounds, but it worked. Just before we exited our SUVs, I sent a message through my walkie talkie for them to split up into groups of two or three, and take up each side of the building, in case one of the girls saw us and tried an escape route. It was unlikely they'd catch sight of us, I knew, but I had to stay cautious.

I let out a heavy sigh as I stared into my own blank gaze in the rearview mirror. I was alone in the car, and I let myself notice how the deep brown color of my eyes had faded into something duller. "You've got this Belikov," I whispered to myself in the silence. "You won't lose this one, too."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I said I wouldn't post another chapter until I got some reviews, but I just couldn't resist. I've written a crap ton since last night, and I actually can't stop.**

 **/**

I'd found the window to their dorm, and I'd been standing under a tree for at least ten minutes now. I stifled a yawn with my hand, wishing the coffee had been stronger. It wasn't good for me to be this tired on a mission, but at least I wasn't hunting Strigoi in this state, I thought wryly. Suddenly, a light flared to life in the dorm, and through the window I saw a brunette head hurry across the room. I shook my head. They should have kept the window locked and curtained. But, no, the window was wide open, the curtains pushed to the side and ruffling in the slight breeze. I pulled my duster tighter around my frame, glancing around for potential danger. I could see the faint form of a cat, pacing around the windowsill. After a moment, it jumped down. Though the window was open, I could only hear faint murmurs from inside, and could only see parts of the girls as they sat on a bed together. Arguing, maybe? I stepped forward a little, realizing idly I was standing very close to a dimmed street lamp now.

"Screw that," I heard a distinct, clear voice snap. There was a short murmur in response.

"Come _on,"_ The same voice replied. "It'll make you feel better."

There was a pause in conversation. Make who feel better? I wasn't sure which one of them was talking, because I couldn't see their faces clearly. As I thought over it, my eyebrows wrinkling in concentration, I heard a sudden cry of pain, and I flinched forward in alarm. But I paused. I had to be smart about this; I couldn't really just barge into a dorm in the middle of the night unless the matter was an absolute emergency. Maybe one of the girls stubbed their toe or something, I reasoned. I had to wait. Less than a minute later, one of the girls stood, and I could clearly make out Vasilisa Dragomir, the last Princess of her line. Her thin, tall form and golden hair marked her as the Princess, if nothing else. She moved across the room, wiping at her mouth. I tensed, but she never once glanced out the window. As she passed by though, the cat I'd seen a moment ago reclaimed its place in the windowsill, and as it spotted me, it hissed and yowled. I could see its coat fluffing up from where I stood.

Дерьмо.

"You don't know what you're missing," I heard the same voice from a moment before say. That must have been Rosemarie Hathaway. A second later the girl walked to the open window, wearing her pajamas, and the way the cat scooted warily away from her confirmed my educated guess. Animals were never fond of Dhampirs, for whatever reason. As she leaned out of the window, her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders to frame her face, and she smiled peacefully as she turned her face up to the breeze. The night was silent around us, and I found myself momentarily captivated by her. She was beautiful. Her tanned skin was stained with a light blush, and her face as she looked around the campus was sweet and watchful at the same time; it was a lovely sort of heart-shape that I'd never seen before, and yet her features were also sharp, without being severe. I watched her big, dark eyes roam across the skyline. The faint light from the streetlamp reflected over her features as she scanned the shadows and—

She saw me.

Дерьмо. Снова.

I was snapped out of my stupid daze as her features filled with alarm. I hastily stepped back into the shadows, too late. I watched as she stumbled back from the window, presumably to inform Vasilisa of what she'd just seen. _Idiot, idiot, idiot,_ I chanted at myself. I was leading this capture team, and _I_ had been the one to expose us. Guardian Reynolds interrupted my internal mantra, coming up behind me.

"Belikov, you got anything? We've been around back for about twenty minutes so far, nothing yet—"

"They're going to try to escape. Have the rest of the team do a sweep around the back, and meet me in front of the house, on the main road. Quickly."

Reynolds stuttered some sort of affirmative, but I'd already taken off up the street. The girls—or Hathaway—probably had a bag packed for the occasion of a quick escape. If they'd avoided the Academy for two years now, I had no doubt one or both of them was a good escape artist.

I couldn't know exactly where they were headed, so I kept my ears perked for any sounds, keeping my radio at the ready in case I needed to notify the others. I heard stumbling footsteps, two pairs of them. I would think they'd at least try to stay more silent, but the footsteps slapped unsteadily on the concrete. They were just around the corner.

"We've got to run for it," I heard what I now recognized as Rosemarie's voice pant. Was she that out of practice that a light jog took her breath? I felt pity flood me.

"But you can't—" A softer, meeker voice replied, but was cut off by Rosemarie's demand of: _"Run."_

I could see them now, and noticed how Rosemarie was clutching the Princess, stumbling and panting laboriously. She wasn't that out of practice, I realized. There was something wrong; she must have been injured somehow. Quickly relaying this information over the radio, I picked up my pace. Even though I was running, my feet made almost no sound as they hit the asphalt at a steady rhythm. "On Brown Street." I barked over the radio, then pocketed it in case I had to restrain anybody.

I stepped directly into their path, forcing them to come to a screeching halt. Over their heads, I saw the other Guardians approach, along with the rest closing the girls in on the sides. We had them.

We had them!

Not having broken a sweat from my running, I examined the girls, wondering how this was going to go down. I had no doubt we would be able to restrain them now, but I wondered how difficult they were going to be about it—particularly Hathaway. As an instinct, it seemed, Hathaway shoved Vasilisa behind her, away from me. She kept her hands glued to the Princess, as if letting her go meant death. Vasilisa's startlingly green eyes went round. Rosemarie's dark eyes were frantic as she scanned the Guardians surrounding them, realizing they were trapped. She had broken out in a sweat, and from the way she was hunched and panting, I knew her body was rejecting her. She had to be injured somewhere. I scanned her body, trying to find the source of her pain, but as I looked her over all I found was her enticingly curved figure, and her heaving breasts, thinly covered by her tank top and open sweater. I didn't linger over either. She was more attractive than I suppose I had expected to be faced with, but I had a job to do, and her good looks wouldn't get in the way of that.

"Leave her alone," Rosemarie growled protectively, her grip tightening on the Princess. "Don't touch her."

 _She's always defending somebody,_ Alberta's words echoed in my head.

Her gaze was unfocused, though nearly feral with determination to keep her friend safe. I could respect that, but she had to know that we weren't here to hurt either of them, right? That was the exact opposite of what Guardians were known for. But perhaps she didn't realize that at the moment; she reminded me of a panther backed up against the bars of a cage, shielding her young.

I held my hands in front of me, preparing a soothing voice to calm them both; but Rosemarie seemed to be the one in need of it the most. "I'm not going to—"

I took a small step forward.

And Rosemarie attacked. Her fists flew in an uncoordinated flurry, and startled by how correct my comparison to a wild animal had been, I simply shoved my arms forward to stop her. Only, with as much as I underestimated my own strength, and with how weak Rosemarie seemed to be, she began to fall to the ground instead of just being stopped in her tracks.

My arms immediately shot out to catch her before she hit the ground. A little tumble might have been deserved after the stunts she'd pulled in the years before, but she was obviously injured, and I knew I wasn't going to let her hit the ground if I could help it. When I gripped her arm over the fabric of her sweater, her dark hair fell from around her neck, and I finally found the wound.

A fresh bite mark. I couldn't tear my eyes from it as it all clicked into place. Of course they wouldn't have been able to find a constantly available feeder, moving around as they did. So, for the two years they'd been gone, Rosemarie had been offering herself up as Vasilisa's main form of nourishment. It was astonishing for someone—especially so young—to be so self-sacrificing. Slowly, seeming still disoriented from the bite, Rosemarie reached up to touch her neck. Dark blood covered her hand as she pulled it away. She jerked herself from my grip, and I let her. Her mouth tightened, and she shook her hair to cover her neck once more. I met her eyes, and saw defiance there, as if I were going to criticize her for keeping her best friend alive and well. No, she was far from the truth if that was what she thought.

She stepped back and regained her position in front of Vasilisa, looking nauseous, and I nearly sighed. How long were we going to play this game? I was unable to read her body language, but the Princess apparently could. Her pale, slender fingers grabbed hold of Rosemarie's hand. "Rose," she said lowly, seeming to be the voice of reason here. "Don't."

And that was all it took.

Slowly, Hathaway's body language relaxed. She glanced around once more at the Guardians surrounding her, defeat in her tired looking eyes. After a moment, I stepped forward, and directed what I could of my attention, to Princess Dragomir.

I swept into a quick bow. "My name is Dimitri Belikov," I said, thinking about how Mama had always warned that no matter the situation, a formal introduction was always the polite thing to do. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."

I heard Rosemarie scoff, and tried not to smirk.

/

 **Translations:**

 **Дерьмо** : Shit

 **Дерьмо. Снова.** : Shit. Again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I think this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written, but I'm okay with that! Let me know what your thoughts are.**

 **/**

Having ushered the girls back to the cars, I had them and another two Guardians ride with me. I also had Reynolds, the only other Guardian in the group with more than two _molnija_ marks, sit in between the girls in the back seat, so that they were less likely to try anything. I snuck glances at them both through the mirror from time to time, and though she looked as if she were going to pass out any moment, Hathaway stayed looking alert, and pissed. At one point, I saw Vasilisa trying to hide a grin as she glanced out of her tinted window. Rosemarie, on the other side of the vehicle, staring straight ahead, had cracked a smile seemingly in response. The car was completely silent; I hadn't even turned on the radio. What were they amused by?

Rosemarie had snickered, whispering a "shut up" in Vasilisa's direction. And yet, they hadn't said a word to each other. It was strange, and stayed on my mind the entire drive to the airport. As soon as we all loaded back onto the Academy's private plane, the girls bee-lined for two seats in the very back, away from everyone. Though we were on a plane, in the sky, I wouldn't put it past them to still plan some sort of absurd escape.

"Yeah," I said, regarding them skeptically. "Don't let them talk to each other," I said to the group of Guardians, pointing at the girls. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."

Based on the nasty look Rosemarie shot in my direction, I knew I had hit it on the head. I assigned Reynolds to sit with her, while I took up a spot beside my charge. As Reynolds led Hathaway away from the Princess, a pathetic look flashed across Vasilisa's face. She stared silently, desperately after Rosemarie's turned back, and I watched in astonishment as Hathaway stiffened in response. She turned her head just slightly, and said so lowly I didn't think any of the other Guardians heard, "Of course, Liss."

I'd heard stories in Russia, a long time ago—my grandmother had told them to me, her wispy voice always amazing me with its mysticism. Stories of the best, most loyal Guardians, attached to their Moroi on literally psychic levels. I remembered being small, eyes wide as I sat at her feet, hopeful that one day I would be the best of Guardians—that I would have that sort of mind-to-mind bond with my Moroi. I'd disregarded the stories as just that years later, telling myself that the only things it took to be the best Guardian were loyalty, and skill.

But now, watching these two, I reconsidered.

About thirty minutes before the plane landed, I left my place beside Vasilisa, asking her if there was anything she needed first. She looked up with her wide, fearful jade green eyes, and shook her head. I nodded back, restraining my sigh, and motioned for Reynolds to switch places with me. I hoped Vasilisa wouldn't be afraid of me forever; I knew I was big, and tall, and intimidating, but I was her Guardian now, and she needed to trust me eventually.

I sat beside Rosemarie, and I caught a glimpse of the dark circles under her eyes. She seemed to be feeling better than when we'd first caught them on the street, but still clearly not great. Despite myself, I felt slightly sorry for the girl; Kirova wasn't going to go easy on her once we returned to the Academy.

Noticing me beside her, she huffed and turned very pointedly away from me to stare out the window of the plane. I raised my eyebrows with humor at her turned back, knowing she wouldn't see the small lapse in my mask. Several heavy moments of silence passed between us, and while I'd come back there completely set on interrogating her on the possible existence of a bond, something completely different came out of my mouth. It was something that had been on my mind, nonetheless.

"Were you really going to attack all of us?" Was her determination to protect Vasilisa really so strong? I'd never seen a novice so young who was already so dedicated to their duty. And if there was some sort of bond between them, I wondered if that somehow drew her to the Princess, made her more inclined than she normally would have been to keep her safe.

I didn't voice any of the questions pressing against my brain, and Rosemarie failed to answer my first question, either way. "Doing that…protecting her like that—it was very brave." I tried again. I was speaking the truth. Rosemarie knew she'd missed years of training, and that she was clearly outnumbered, and yet she'd thrown herself into the line of fire anyway. If I'd been someone else, someone crueler, she might have gotten seriously hurt in her already incapacitated state. " _Stupid,_ but still brave. Why did you even try it?"

For a second, I thought she might continue to ignore my presence, but amazingly—she turned in her seat, a calm, even look on her shapely face. I saw as she brushed her hair away from her eyes, the bite on her neck had started to heal, leaving two unsettling red scars on her otherwise smooth skin. Rosemarie made direct eye contact with me for the first time, and I saw something honest flare within their dark depths. I stifled a small gasp at the directness of her stare, and the way it made my heart jump with surprise.

"Because I'm her guardian." She said levelly, and then turned back towards the window, seeming to get lost in thought. I sat for a minute, perhaps slightly dumbfounded, and then roused myself, going back to sit next to Vasilisa.

As we pulled up to St. Vladimir's, I pulled my phone from my pocket just before we reached the gates and called Kirova's office.

I waited for her to finish her stiff introduction of, "St. Vladimir's Academy. Headmistress Kirova speaking," before I spoke.

"Headmistress, this is Guardian Belikov. We have the girls; we are outside the Academy's gates."

There was a bit of a stunned silence on the other end, before the Headmistress breathed out a sigh. "Very well. Bring them in through the commons." I could hear the smirk in the woman's voice, before she promptly hung up on me.

It was evening—early in the Moroi day—when we passed through the gates. As we walked across campus towards the commons, I let myself marvel again at the beauty of the mountains rising in the distance like peaceful giants. The red of the sunset was just fading into the sky, and I longed for the warmth of it suddenly, like a homesickness. I heard soft footsteps behind me, and Rosemarie, her hair bouncing on her shoulders, jogged up to my side.

"Hey, Comrade." She chirped. Definitely feeling better, then.

I didn't look at her, so she wouldn't see the amusement I knew flashed across my face. "You want to talk now?" I asked indifferently, remembering her silence on the plane.

Taking it as rhetorical, she asked a different question. "Are you taking us to Kirova?"

 _Obviously, I am_ , I thought to myself.

" _Headmistress_ Kirova," I corrected. God, was she really so blatant with her disrespect? An old, hidden part of me found that slightly…admirable, and funny. But mostly, mild disapproval coursed through me. I glanced down and caught Rose rolling her eyes in Vasilisa's direction, as if she'd said something similar to what I was thinking. But she hadn't. Once again, I felt suspicion coat my senses. There was surely something off between the two girls, there was no denying it.

"Headmistress. Whatever," Rose continued. "She's still a self-righteous old bit—"

She cut herself off as I swung the door to the commons wide open, and the girls were escorted in with us. Immediately, she turned a fierce, mortified glare on us. The commons were full with students dining on their breakfast, and as soon as they caught sight of the Princess and Rose, they went absolutely silent. It was slightly eerie, the way their eyes followed the girls as we made our way toward Kirova's office, blank and wide. Most kids had stopped mid-chew. I kept my gaze as blank as a guardian's should be, and didn't dare chance a look down at Rose. Though somehow, I had a feeling she wasn't cowering from their attention in the slightest.

As we entered the office of Headmistress Kirova, both of them let out an audible sigh of relief, and most of the guardians having accompanied me on the mission left. I noticed Guardian Petrov— _Alberta_ already standing against the back wall of the office. She must have wanted to be here for Rose's trial, of sorts.

She pointedly raised her eyebrows as the girls took their seats, and I just nodded back to her, not sure exactly what the look was supposed to mean. Before the Headmistress could begin her reaming, a soft voice spoke from the corner of the room.

"Vasilisa." Prince Victor Dashkov murmured, sounding gentle and tired. He looked worse than I'd ever seen him, his skin a dull gray color, with the consistency of elastic. His hands shook as Vasilisa hugged him. He was only around forty, and looked like he was in his eighties, due to the effects of his disease. It was a sad thing to watch, a person slowly withering from the inside out. Vasilisa rushed forward to throw her arms around him.

"Uncle," she whispered, tightening her grip around his shoulders.

I knew that the Dashkovs and Dragomirs were in no way actually related; but the royals used familial terms very freely.

An expression of relief crossed his face. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He sighed, comfortingly patting her back. His gaze slid slowly towards Rose, who stiffened slightly when it landed on her. "And you too, Rose." He added.

I saw Rose nod stiffly, and I suddenly wondered if there would be anyone truly relieved to see Rose safe after her reappearance. I'd heard stories of her mother, Janine Hathaway, but I didn't know if the older Hathaway was the traditional loving, motherly type. I glanced at Alberta, and supposed she was the closest thing to a worried family member that Rose had here.

Shortly thereafter, the Headmistress began her lecture, and near the middle of it, I swear my eyes would have been bulging from my head if I didn't have to keep my neutral expression in place. She was very good at yelling. Thinking back to Rose's stuffed file, I had to give a little respect to her, having presumably suffered years of these kinds of long tirades. From the vacant expression on her face as she gazed out of the window, I knew she was familiar with this setting.

Then it shifted to Rose. "You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; _you_ nearly enabled them to do it."

I felt my jaw working, knew my eyes were narrowing on the Headmistress. I understood the need for discipline, but blaming this entirely on Rose? Might have been a bit of a stretch.

"Rose didn't kidnap me." Vasilisa defended. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."

Headmistress Kirova make a _tsking_ noise, and paced her office, back and forth. In the moment, she looked and sounded like an old cartoon villain, and her sharp, bird-like features didn't help her case.

Still, hoping she'd say something helpful, I listened to her next words.

"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one orchestrating the entire plan, for all I know, but it was _her_ responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."

Something about what she'd just said made me think of Alberta's words before I'd gotten on the plane to get the girls from Portland. Something about Rose always having a reason. And there had to be a reason. With how protective she was over Vasilisa, she wouldn't have taken the risk of removing her from the safety of the Academy unless she felt she had to, unless something had gone wrong. I was suddenly sure of it.

I glanced over, and found Alberta's eyes on me, as if she knew what I was thinking. Our eyes held for a moment. The sound of Rose's outburst caused both of us to flinch away from our staring. "I _did_ do my duty!" she snapped, jumping from her chair in outrage. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of _you_ "—she made an all-encompassing gesture with her hands— "could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."

 _I did what I had to do._

Oh, definitely. There was definitely a real, valid motive behind their escape. My eyes were trained intently on the two women—one was only a girl, I reminded myself, though she didn't seem like it—glaring at each other across the desk.

"Miss Hathaway," Kirova's voice was deadly in how blank it was. "Forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"

Rose was silent.

"I see. Well then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."

The _novelty_ of it? Was she missing the point that much?

"No, that's not—" Rose protested.

"And that only makes my decision so much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."

"I…what?" Rose gasped.

 _No._

It was the only prominent word in my mind. _No,_ Rose Hathaway was not being sent away. No way. I didn't understand how Kirova was being so single-minded. It seemed less like she was trying to get to the root of the problem here, and more like she had some sort of vendetta against Hathaway. She hadn't even attempted to pursue the conversation, when she knew the girls weren't telling the whole truth about why they'd run away. And that, to me, was selfish of her. It showed that her compassion for Vasilisa wasn't as outstanding as she would like to make it appear.

Vasilisa flew out of her chair. "You can't do that! She's my guardian." she yelled.

"She is no such thing." Kirova replied. "Particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."

"But my parents—"

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

The indifference in her tone made something inside me squirm. _Expendable._ It made me think of how lowly some Moroi thought of us Dhampir.

Rose didn't seem to be able to believe what she was hearing, either. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my _father_?"

She took a breath, and when she spoke again, I had to wonder what went on in her mind behind the snappish comments, for her voice to turn so cold. "Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that and we'll be gone by the end of the day."

Strangest thing was, even standing there, ready to stop her from escaping, I believed from her tone that she would somehow find a way free again if she really wanted to.

"Miss Hathaway," Kirova hissed, resembling a snake. "you are out of line."

There was a silence in the room, and I knew it was now or never. There was only one weapon I had in my arsenal, but I had to use it, as unproven as it was. Rose Hathaway was too interesting for her to leave.

"They have a bond." I said, and let it sit in the stagnant air. All eyes swiveled to me, and I met Rose's, which were churning like two pools of oil. In that split second, I knew my suspicions were true. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"

Kirova's eyes slid from the girls and back to me several times before she spoke. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."

 _Then don't you think it was about time for it to happen again?_ I thought, but restrained myself from snapping back at her.

"It's obvious. I suspected it as soon as I started watching them." But then, I was more observant than most.

I was still staring into Rose's eyes, I realized. She averted her gaze from mine.

"This is a gift," Prince Victor murmured, still sitting in the corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."

At least someone was on my side. "The best guardians had that bond," I boasted, remembering Babushka's voice as she lilted over the words. "In the stories."

Rage flashed in Kirova's eyes. She didn't want there to be a reason Rose should stay. "Stories that are centuries old. Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"

Yes, I was.

I shrugged, trying to seem as casual and indifferent as possible. I've often found that when people think you don't care; they listen more rationally to what you have to say. "She may be wild and disrespectful, but—"

"Wild and disrespectful? Who are you, anyway? Outsourced help?" Rose exclaimed wildly and disrespectfully, giving us an example.

"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," snapped Kirova, though she looked as if she might be regretting the decision, slightly. "Her _sanctioned_ guardian."

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" she asked. I would have been offended, but her voice didn't convey any sort of disgust. I could see that it was just her quick wit, and her desire to be the princess's sole protector which made her ladle out insults as if they were coins to the penniless.

The Headmistress turned to me in exasperation, throwing her hands into the air. It would have been a funny image had I been on the outside looking in. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and _very_ raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."

I knew Kirova just really didn't want to try. I wondered why'd she'd put herself in the schooling system if she wasn't able to spot potential, and help someone work towards it. The girl was only seventeen, for God's sake. I'd met guardians my age and older who still had no sense of discipline. And she was right on that part; lack of discipline would get a guardian killed.

"So teach her discipline." I said boldly. "Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."

"Impossible." She shot it down. "She'll be hopelessly behind her peers."

Rose glanced up from examining her nails, looking scandalized. "No, I won't."

Neither of us acknowledged her. "Then give her extra training sessions." I said, exasperated. This was my last chance at keeping her here. If Kirova didn't accept this one, I wasn't sure what I could say.

"Who's going to put in the extra time? You?" Kirova demanded, sending me a challenging stare.

"Well, that's not what I—" I paused. I hadn't thought of that. Could I put in the extra time? Yes, I knew I could. It wasn't like I did much of anything in my spare time other than train and read, anyway. The question was, _would_ I? I'd never mentored anybody before, and at twenty-four I still felt like I hadn't learned nearly enough to be the person someone else looked up to.

Looking as if she knew she would win, Kirova crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes. That's what I thought."

I glanced at Rose, and then at Vasilisa beside her. Both stared at me with hope kindling in their eyes. Yes, the reason I'd started this argument was for Rose's benefit, but what about the princess's? Looking at them now, I knew that if Rose were to be taken away from her, it wouldn't be something Vasilisa would heal from. And I wasn't sure how a psychic bond worked, but I imagined the existence of such a thing would just make it all the more difficult on both of them. Vasilisa was my charge, and it was my duty to protect her, not just physically, but also emotionally. So, no, whatever doubts I had in myself, I had to take on Rose as my student. It was me, protecting my charge, after all.

"Yes." I said, and saw the Headmistress's expression falter. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra lessons along with her normal ones."

"And then what?" She was fuming, not having gotten her way. "She goes unpunished?"

I'd never said that. Though I suddenly had the feeling that the training I would put her through would be punishment enough.

"Find some other way to punish her. Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."

Kirova was sullen and silent a moment, staring out the windows, which showed nothing but the consuming night outside.

"I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." Said Victor Dashkov from his corner.

He caught my eye, too swiftly for the others to see, for me to even register if it actually happened or not. And he winked at me, as if he were in on some secret with me. I averted my gaze from his.

"Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay." Lissa pleaded, her voice sweet as drizzled honey.

Finally, the Headmistress turned from the window with a defeated sigh. "If Miss Hathaway stays, here is how it will be." She turned, addressing Rose. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before _and_ after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent…away."

 _Don't be smart, don't be smart, don't be smart,_ I chanted in my head, silently willing it towards her.

Rose gave a harsh, brackish laugh. "Banned from all social activities?" She parroted. "Are you trying to keep us apart?" she nodded towards Vasilisa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"

I nearly slammed my head into the wall.

"I'm taking precautions," Kirova replied coolly. "As I'm sure you recall; you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for. You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it." This was one thing I agreed with Kirova on, completely.

And this was the attitude I'd be spending my mornings and evenings with, I realized with a slight sense of dread. What had I gotten myself into? I stared at the back of Rose's head, and the long, silky-looking dark hair that fanned over her shoulders made her look more innocent from the back than she did in the front. She was fiery, for sure. Alberta had gotten that part right. But she was crazily determined, and protective as well, so I supposed Alberta had been right on all accounts. Rose looked back at me, and met my eyes. I held her stare, not sure what it was she was looking for there.

Apparently finding it, she turned back to Kirova. She exhaled heavily, and glanced up at the Headmistress. "Fine." She said. "I accept."

And those words very well may have been the beginning of the end for me.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4, typed up and ready to go! I know the moment in the beginning here with Alberta wasn't mentioned in the books, but this is just my way of keeping things a bit interesting, putting a little originality in there for you. To the reviewer Mawats01: Your review was perfect, thank you so much for the genuine feedback! I hope you enjoy!**

 **/**

Once Vasilisa was out of sight, some sort of tension seemed to leak away from Rose and into the air surrounding her. As if the tension hadn't left her, but had loosened its hold slightly. As Alberta and I escorted Rose to her guidance counselor's office, I was surprised when she turned her head to look at the other woman, and spoke in a soft voice. "How have you been, Alberta?" she asked, her eyebrows wrinkled in genuine interest.

Guardian Petrov didn't seem bothered at all by the lack of title. Perhaps they'd known each other so long that it wasn't a necessary barrier anymore. Alberta glanced slyly over at Rose, and I saw the lines around her mouth shift upwards. "Things haven't been nearly as entertaining without you, Hathaway."

She placed a hand on Rose's elbow and gave a light squeeze. We continued our walk to the guidance counselor's office in relative silence after that. The scheduling with the counselor took much less time than I had been expecting, and soon we were escorting Rose to her Combat class. She mulled over the schedule as we walked, though I was sure she'd already read it five times. She kept making little scoffing noises to herself, and I think she expected one of us to ask her what was wrong. Neither of us did.

As we stepped into the gym, all of the students froze. I wondered if it would be like this every time Rose walked into a room for the next week. I glanced at her subtly to find her frozen, her eyes staring back at them like a deer caught in headlights. But as quickly as the expression had come across her face, it was gone, and she suddenly grinned beatifically. It was a real, genuine grin. I'd quickly gotten used to her wry, lecherous smirks, but I thought that maybe I liked this look much better on her.

"Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."

Well. That…ruined it.

 _Ruined what?_ Some part of me whispered critically. I shooed that voice away, and glanced in the direction Rose was gazing.

A redheaded male student, freckles having taken up the entirety of his face, stood a little apart from the rest of the staring students, his mouth hinged open, like a fish with its lip caught on a hook. Then he grinned. "This _is_ my time, Hathaway." Mason threw back, waking from his trance. "I'm leading today's lesson."

"Oh yeah?" Rose hummed. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."

"It's always a good time to think about you naked." Some other guy chimed in, resulting in snickers from the entire class.

"Боже, я ненавижу среднюю школу." I sighed dramatically, and walked towards the back of the room to observe, and to get away from them.

After an hour of watching Rose trying her hand at combat with Mason, I started to question my confidence in bringing her up to speed. I'd never taught a _student_ before, let alone one as far behind as Rose was now. Nonetheless, every time her back hit the mat, or she was caught off guard during a spar, I added something else to the lesson plans I had been constructing in my head. The first thing we needed to take care of was getting her stamina up. So we'd be spending a lot of time on weight training, and running the tracks.

Next was Stan Alto's class. The man was a decent fighter, though he hadn't been out in the field in years due to his teaching job. And I wasn't sure how fond I was of him as a person. When Rose walked into the classroom, and he zeroed in on her for practically the entire class, my opinion of him went further down a few notches. There were some teachers that didn't seem to understand the point of teaching, as I'd observed, but it wasn't my place to intercede.

That day, Alto walked in, his leather satchel in hand, and as soon as he caught sight of Hathaway sitting at her desk, a look of anger—almost pure hatred—flashed across his face, before he widened his eyes in mock surprise. She should have been on his new roster—she probably was, and Alto just enjoyed having his share of the Hathaway punishment.

I couldn't help but watch as Alto circled around the classroom, and came to stand, with faux-excitement, in front of Rose's desk.

"What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very _generous_ of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us."

From where I stood on the back wall, I could the side of her face flush with anger. If anyone had mistaken the redness for only embarrassment, the look of pure revulsion on her face would have refuted it. He gestured wildly for her to stand from her seat. "Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there." He cajoled. "Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."

Rose sunk farther into her seat. "You don't really mean—" She sounded horrified, and I felt a small pinprick of sympathy for her. If her day continued like this, I imagined it would be marked as one of the worst on her timetable so far. But perhaps being embarrassed in front of the class would do her good; she might gain some modesty from it.

"I mean _exactly_ what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class." Alto's exuberant grin had evaporated, leaving him staring at her with a bitter expression.

But Rose put on her brave face, and strode haughtily up to the front of the classroom, as the students remained in complete silence. I knew it was the calm before the storm. I watched as she caught sight of me standing against the wall, and I kept my expression as indifferent as ever, not quite meeting her eyes. She needed to focus on what Stan was saying, and not anything else.

"So, Hathaway," Stan finally broke the silence. "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."

"My…techniques?"

I forced myself not to cringe with second-hand mortification.

"Of course." Stan replied, as if it were obvious. "Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats."

"We never ran into any Strigoi," Rose said rigidly.

"Obviously," Alto snickered. "I already figured that out, seeing as how you're still alive."

The tension in the classroom was insanely thick.

I didn't think it could get worse for her than Headmistress Kirova's lecture. And in a way, Stan had a right to be doing this, and I knew that he wasn't doing it entirely to be cruel; though I did have to wonder if that was a bonus. It was a lesson that had to be gotten through to her, but I think she'd already learned that lesson. And Alto was just rubbing more salt in the wound.

And he did so mercilessly, mocking her towards the class, making it feel as if he and the class were a united front against Rose. I directed my gaze towards my shoes for a moment, contemplating why exactly I was caring so much. I'd never had these intense of opinions in a classroom I was only supposed to be guarding. In fact, it was in my job description to stay out of it unless I was needed, so why was I having some full on debate in my head? Rose was now my student, I reasoned. I should have been paying attention.

I tuned back in just as Rose started yelling. "Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there." she snapped. "It's safer than you guys make it sound."

In less time than I could blink, Guardian Alto was in Rose's face, too close for a lesson. "Safer? _Safer?_ We are at war with the Strigoi!" I could imagine she could smell what he'd had for breakfast as he barked at her. "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him—" The class gave a small, collective gasp at their teacher's sudden gruesomeness. "—and he'd barely break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed or strength than a Moroi or human, but you are nothing, _nothing_ compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?" His behavior was almost frantic as he waited for his answer, hovering near her face.

Rose's face tensed and released a few times, and having lived in a house with several sisters, I realized he'd brought her to the brink of tears. Her eyes drifted over towards me again.

She whispered something, and normally it would have been hard to catch, but the entire class was holding their breath. "Moroi blood."

"What was that? I didn't catch it!" Stan shouted.

And Rose, her eyes morphing into more of a black instead of a brown, stood taller, and spun to face him. The tears never came. "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger." She shouted back, sounding almost as stern as he had.

Seeming happy with his progress, Alto stepped back. He created a respectable distance between them again, and something in my chest loosened that I hadn't realized had been tight to begin with.

"Yes. It does." Stan nodded his approval. "It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir…" he lapsed into a speech of some sort or another, but that was when I stopped paying attention. I'd graduated years back; I shouldn't have been so rapt with classroom drama to begin with.

But still, as the class filed out later at the ring of the bell, I muttered "залупа" in the form of a loud cough as I went by his desk. I had no doubt he knew at least some Russian, and his confused frown kept me going for the rest of the day. 

Sometime later in the day, I spotted Rose walking—or stumbling—through the courtyard towards the commons. I couldn't help but wonder how she was doing after the debacle in Alto's class. I fell into step beside her.

"I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" I was starting to get used to her lack of title-usage.

"Yes."

"And you don't think it was unfair?" her smooth voice was a challenge. She wanted to see where my loyalties lay.

"Was he right?" I inquired, because I thought it was a fairly neutral thing to say, and that it might get her thinking. "Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?"

She directed her gaze to the ground and mumbled, "I kept her alive."

And that was how I knew she was unsure of herself. From what I'd observed, when Rose knew she was right, she stood up for it, loud and proud. But now, she was hunched, voice low, not meeting my eyes.

"How did you do fighting your classmates today?" I pushed, hoping she'd come to a realization, or at least admit to herself that she needed to step up her game.

"If you can't fight _them_ —" I started to stress.

"I know, I know," Rose snapped, seeming frustrated more with herself than she was with me.

I thought I might know a little of how she was feeling—I'd never liked admitting I was wrong, and had certainly never wanted help from anybody. So I'd learned that helping myself was my best option.

I slowed my long legs to match my stride to hers, so that I could actually talk to her. "You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?" Surely, she'd played soccer, or taken dance classes; hell, at least visited the gym once or twice a week.

She shrugged, avoiding my eyes. "Sure. Now and then."

 _Now and then?_ Wow, okay.

"You didn't join any teams?" I asked, knowing it was a waste of breath.

"Too much work." Rose wrinkled her nose. "If I wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."

I felt like my head was going to explode. Had she actually just said the words _too much work?_ Was she a different person each hour to the next, or was she just that naïve, to think she could go on protecting the princess without any further improvement? "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."

They were harsh words, but this was an important subject. And it was true. She'd never reach her full potential if she didn't hone her skills. If she didn't _try_.

"I'll be able to protect her," She said fiercely.

Not acting like this, she wouldn't. If Rose truly wanted to be a guardian, let alone the guardian of someone as important as the last Dragomir, she would need to seriously step up her game.

"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know—for your field experience _or_ after you graduate." I didn't want to embarrass her in the middle of the crowd of students, so I kept my voice lowered. "No one wants to waste the bond—but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian, either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it." I was willing her to hear me, but by the look on her face, I didn't think it was working. "You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate—if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will." I knew she _could_. With her determination, I think she could have done just about whatever she set her mind to.

"Lissa. Call her Lissa." She said, quietly. As if she were choosing to ignore me. Had she heard anything I'd just said? Frustrated, and wondering how I was possibly supposed to train this girl, I stalked away from her.

I spent some of the afternoon before our practice in the library. It was just the quiet atmosphere I needed to think over what I would need to teach her first. We certainly couldn't start off with sparring right away, as I'd hoped. Thinking back on the dramatic way she'd groaned and snapped at the Ashford kid during her Combat class had a quick grin flashing across my face before I could stop it. If nothing else, Rose Hathaway was an entertaining person.

By some miracle, I had no classes to guard for the rest of the day, so I retired to my dorm for the few hours I had left before practice to catch up on my reading. With so much of my time being taken up by Hathaway now, I realized I wouldn't have nearly as much time for books. I felt a small frown take over my features; Rose better prove herself to be worth it. Unsurprisingly, I got so engrossed in my book that by the time practice rolled around, I was running late. With a curse, I hopped off my bed, threw on my duster, and hurried to the gym. Only, when I arrived, Rose wasn't there. I waited a few moments, allotting her the time to be late, as I had accidentally been. But she didn't show, and with a sigh of annoyance, I went searching for her.

As I passed by a 20-something guardian in the hallway—one with a crew cut and an arrogant expression—I asked, "Any chance you've seen Hathaway anywhere?" Because I'd found in her short time back on campus, not a soul didn't know who she was.

The guardian looked a bit surprised to hear me speak, but shook his head with a small grin. "Last time I saw Hathaway was at lunch; one day back on campus and she was already trying to start a fight with the Rinaldi girl."

I thanked him and continued on with my search, asking a few staff members along the way if they'd seen her either. Starting fights? I'd have to remember to remind Hathaway that she was on a strict probation by Kirova, meaning she could probably get expelled if she breathed too hard on someone.

I finally found her, standing outside of the school building, (violating probation) having what appeared to be a very serious conversation with Vasilisa. Neither sensed my approach until I stood in front of them.

"Rose?" I said. At the sound of her name, her eyes travelled up to meet with mine. Her gaze was cautious and a slight bit guilty, her pink lips pursed as if she'd gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but wasn't sure if I'd actually noticed or not. I found myself lingering over her lips for a second. They were such a pretty, ripe color. I blinked away from them, hoping she hadn't noticed. "You're late for practice," I stated. She looked to the side of her, and I realized I hadn't even acknowledged my charge.

"Princess," I greeted belatedly, bowing my head. I motioned for Rose to follow me, and saw her glance over her shoulder at Vasilisa as we walked away. Rose didn't say a word as we walked, surprising me with her silence. The campus was empty as we made our way towards the gym, and I realized as our footsteps thumped against the pavement, this was the first time we'd been completely alone together, and that I would have to be alone with her a lot as we got into the swing of practices. I hoped we could learn to get along, at least enough for her to cooperate with me.

"You should be careful with starting fights; you know Headmistress Kirova is looking for any excuse." I said, suddenly remembering what I'd heard from the guardian earlier. Rose said nothing. In fact, as I came out of my thoughts, I realized her footsteps had stopped sounding behind me.

I turned, expecting to find her glaring at me for whatever reason, but she wasn't. Rose stood eerily still, her eyes staring blankly ahead of her into the darkness. I looked in the direction her eyes stared, but there was no one and nothing out there but us. "Rose?" I said, expecting her to laugh, or at least snap out of whatever daze she was in. But she stood so still, I wasn't sure she was even breathing. That thought had me rushing back to her.

"Rose? Rose!" I tried again, panicking slightly. It was a surprisingly frightful, sad thing; seeing eyes that were always so animate become so vacant and unseeing.

My hands went to her shoulders, and I shook her as much as I could without jarring her. Before I could think about it, my hands cupped her face, and I bent to her level. "Rose, please. You're worrying me." I whispered. There was still no response, and my thumbs brushed against her cheekbones, more to sooth myself, I think, than to sooth her. My hands looked so large compared to the delicacy of her features. Rose's skin was so soft under my fingers, and I found myself wondering what her luxurious strands of dark hair would feel like between them. At that thought, I jerked my hands away from her as if she had burned me.

I paced for a moment, realizing that this was the first time I could remember where I didn't know the way to handle a situation. Rose stood silently, as vacant as a robot, for at least ten minutes. Just as I started to contemplate picking her up and taking her to the clinic, her breathing started to pick up. I reached her in a matter of a second, my hands flying back to her shoulders. "Rose? Rose?" I questioned, noting the hope in my own voice.

Suddenly Rose gasped, as if she were surfacing above water, and her eyes locked onto mine. The relief I felt when the essence of _Rose_ flooded back into those warm, shadowy eyes was insurmountable.

"Are you alright?" I asked, removing my hands as she brought one of hers to her forehead. What the hell had that been?

"I…" Rose seemed disoriented, and her hand rubbed unconsciously back and forth across her forehead. I wondered if whatever that had been was giving her a migraine. "…yeah. I was…I was with Lissa. I was in her head."

Her words brought my thoughts to a halt. In Vasilisa's _head_? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Her…head?" I echoed my thoughts, feeling majorly confused.

"Yeah. It's part of the bond." Rose sighed, not elaborating. I wanted to ask her more about the bond, reverting back to my wonderment over the concept as a child, but I instinctually asked a different question.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's…" Rose's eyebrows creased. I assumed she was thinking back on whatever it was she'd seen while in the princess's…head. That had to be a strange experience. "She's not in danger," she finally concluded. Her voice was faint, as if she were barely conscious. With that, and the look on her face, I was half inclined to send Rose to her room to get some sleep.

"Can you keep going?" I asked.

She suddenly seemed to snap back to herself, and cleared her throat. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Rose gave me a strange look, and I realized why a moment later. I'd been worried about her, and I'd stared right into her big brown eyes and let her see it; hear it in my voice too, probably.

I'd let my mask slip in front of her, and I'd had no control over it.

 **/**

 **Translations:**

 **Боже, я ненавижу среднюю школу:** God, I hate high school.

 **залупа:** Dickhead (zalupa)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm not sure what to say about this chapter, other than the dream thing was a hell of a lot of fun to write. See the end of the chapter for additional commentary. Slightly Rated M.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **/**

When we got to the gym, Rose excused herself to go change into her workout clothes. I glanced at the clock as I waited, worrying the inside of my lip as a nervous sort of habit. What had that slip-up been? I had been so worried about Rose that I'd lost a semblance of control over myself, and that was something I'd sworn to myself would never happen again. I'd lost control. And for what? My student, that I'd met less than thirty hours ago? Thinking back on those hours, it felt strangely as if I had known Rose much longer than that. With a shake of my head, I concurred that it had to be lack of sleep that was making me act so strange. Not only had I technically been awake for two days now, but I never got restful sleep to begin with, due to my incessant nightmares about Ivan. Suddenly, the soft embrace of my mattress seemed more promising than ever.

Rose emerged from the dressing room slumped over, groaning as she rubbed her side. I was willing to bet she was bruising all over the place after trying to spar with her classmates all day. "Hey, Comrade," she said. My lips twitched so slightly I knew she hadn't noticed it. I supposed the stereotypical nickname was here to stay. "Don't you think you should let me off of training, just for today?"

I gave a surprised bark of laughter. The girl was funny.

"Why is that funny?" she snapped back, moving her hands to massage the back of her neck.

"Oh, you were serious."

Rose threw her hands up by her sides. This was the first time I'd seen her look exasperated. I thought it was a pleasant turning of the tables. "Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for _two_ days." She whined, echoing my earlier thoughts. "Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed. It's just one hour."

I felt my lip curl in annoyance, though her childish behavior unexpectedly reminded me of my sister Viktoria when she was little; she'd always been spoiled. I thought she and Rose might get along well.

There was only one way to convince Viktoria to go along with something, and that was with persuasion by jilted logic. Mulling over my thoughts, I decided to try an experiment.

I crossed my arms and looked down at Rose. Her mouth was pursed in a pout, and her hair stuck up every which way like a toddler's as they were woken from their nap. It was difficult not to bend to her will.

"How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?" I asked.

Her features scrunched with displeasure. "I hurt like hell."

"You'll feel worse tomorrow." And she would, too. It wasn't hard to remember the stiff feeling that overcame your whole body after over-exertion. I hadn't felt it in a while, since I never failed to keep on track with my fitness routines, but it was a sensation that one never really forgot.

"So?" Rose snapped back at me.

"So, better to jump in now when you feel…not as bad." I was satisfied with my own logic, jilted though it may have been. It was the kind of thinking that got me through the day when I wasn't feeling inspired to keep going.

Rose stared at me, dumbfounded for a moment. "What kind of logic is that?"

Oh, but she hadn't refuted it, which meant I'd successfully overcome the stubborn will of Rose Hathaway. I might have deserved a trophy, or at least a medal. I didn't want to push her too much, however, so instead of conducting the full hour cardio routine I'd planned out, I just led her to the weight room. I briefly explained which weights I wanted her to use, and how many reps she should try for, and eagerly I pulled my western from the huge pocket of my duster. I settled in the corner of the weight room, and found myself easily entranced by the story again, Rose's rhythmic panting soon becoming an oddly soothing background noise.

As I led her through some cool down stretches, she turned her head towards me with a curious expression. The ends of her ponytail brushed her shoulders as her head tilted.

"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" she asked. "You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?"  
I paused with my fingers touching my toes. Even though I hadn't done the work out with her today, it felt good to stretch my body, as tense as I had been lately. The question caught me a bit off guard. I wasn't prompted to talk about myself much, and wasn't sure how much I wanted to.

Nevertheless, I answered her honestly. "No. I attended the one in Siberia."

I waited for her response, and when it came I felt a jolt of amusement go through me. "Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana."

I didn't correct her, but she was quite off the mark with that comment. My home country, depending on which part of it you were in, could be the most beautiful place one could imagine. In the spring and summer seasons, the grass turned a ripe, natural green color that was difficult to replicate, and there was a sense of peace in the blue of the sky and the neutrally warm breeze. And in the winter, despite the arctic wasteland stereotype, the weather wasn't as different than the cold mountains of Montana. I fondly looked back on the day I'd met Ivan, in an empty park near the school.

 _"Belikov, right?" His young voice and his kind smile echoed like ghosts in my memory._

 _"I saw you fight earlier. Think you could teach me those moves?" He'd joked, slapping my shoulder. Then, after a thought, he'd extended his hand for me to shake. I remember staring at him silently. I'd never associated with a royal before, not in such a friendly way. "I'm Ivan. Ivan Zeklos." As if I didn't know._

Lost in the memories of home, I didn't realize what I'd let slip out of my mouth next until I'd already said it, "After I graduated, I was the guardian for a Zeklos lord. He died recently."

I felt darkness overcome me as I saw in my mind the contrast from his smiling face, to the way his eyes had stared blankly through me when I'd found him dead, one half of his face sunken into a puddle of his own and his other guardians' blood.

"They sent me here because they needed extras on campus." I continued explaining, making myself realize that I wasn't there, that I was here, in the present, Rose sitting next to me. Had I really just told her that? "When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus." I rambled slightly, unsuccessfully trying to pull her attention from the tidbit of personal information I'd given her. I did not like sharing things, and Rose was no exception.

"Did this lord die on your watch?" Except…maybe she was.

"No. He was with his other guardians. I was away." I wondered what she would have thought if I had been the one guarding Ivan that night; would she see me as unsuited to mentor her? Would she resent me? Pity me? Her dark eyes studied me intently for a moment, but not with pity, or even sympathy. There was a soul-deep understanding in her eyes, and for a moment I wondered if that was exactly where she was looking; into my soul.

"Hey," she said, her voice suddenly cheerful, cajoling. "did you come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all."

I felt the air around me lightening its oppressive hold. Confusion and a silly sort of delight washed over me. What a strange creature. "You're complimenting me on that?"

She chuckled dryly. "Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."

My world froze. Last one? As far as I'd been informed, the attack I led was their first attempt.

"Last one?"

"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds."

 _Psi-hounds?_ That, I definitely would have been informed of. And it seemed unlikely the school would issue psi-hounds, those vicious half-animal, half-mutant creatures, to recover two delinquent girls on the run.

"This was the first time we found you. In Portland." I said.

Rose sat up and crossed her legs, directing a confused stare at me. "Um, I don't think I imagine psi-hounds." I'd never had personal experience with psi-hounds, but I wagered they weren't something she would easily forget. "Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it."

She seemed dismissive, but I wouldn't dismiss this. Psi-hounds were a serious thing, and if they had been siccing them on teenage girls, I needed to know. I made a mental note to talk to someone about it later.

"Maybe," I said, hoping she'd drop the subject until I had more information. I knew by the look on her face she wasn't buying my dismissal, but she said nothing else on the matter.

Soon, Rose packed her things and I let her head back to her dorm by herself. I realized belatedly that I hadn't eaten anything since the granola bar I'd had that morning, and headed to the guardians' lunch room/lounge (not that we were ever permitted to actually _lounge_ , anywhere) to find some source of nourishment.

I sat at the room's small table, sipping at a cup of coffee and examining my PB&J, when Alberta strode in and sat in the chair beside mine. "Dimitri," she greeted with a smile. "How did your first day with Hathaway go?"

Remembering the manners my mother had taught me, I pushed the sandwich away and decided I'd eat it after she finished talking to me. I thought for a moment before responding. "Rose is, um," I searched for the right way to respond. Alberta laughed at the overwhelmed look that must have crossed my face. "She really is quite far behind. But she has so much determination that I think she'll be able to catch up by the end of the year, maybe even be able to take her trials."

Alberta nodded her graying head, her grin telling me that she knew as well as I had learned that Rose had potential. "Well, I hope you're ready, Belikov. Rose was tired today. You haven't even seen half of _the_ Rose Hathaway, not yet." She said this in a jokingly ominous way, but I realized she was right. If a broken down Rose Hathaway was this much of a handful, what would she be like fully charged?

"Yes, thank you for that, Alberta." I chuckled lightly. With that, she started to rise from her seat, and after grabbing a water bottle from the fridge in the corner of the room, went for the door.

"Oh. Petrov, can I ask you something?"

She nodded, turning back to me expectantly. I tried to sound as casual as possible, leaning back in my seat in an uncharacteristically loose position. "Remind me, were there any close calls on finding the girls before I was sent out for them?"

She shook her head. "No. You were the first one to even come close." She grinned, and I was relieved to see she was mistaking my probing as nothing more than a young guardian's ego. Though my next line of questioning would most likely obliterate that.

I internally winced before asking it. "Yeah? There was nothing? You didn't send out another group of guardians, or…a pack of psi-hounds, or anything like that?"

She went from Alberta to Guardian Petrov in the matter of a glance. The harsh planes of her face narrowed, and in her eyes I saw her horror at the accusation. "Psi-hounds?" she barked. "No, the Academy would never use psi-hounds as a resource for finding two teenage students. They're much too dangerous."

I nodded, directing my eyes away from her glare. There was a tense silence, before Alberta drew a calming breath. When I looked back at her, there was something suspicious glinting in her gray eyes. She tilted her head to the side, her guardian training kicking in as she stared at me. "Why would you ask something like that, Belikov?" her voice was soft, like she already knew I wasn't telling her something.

I made eye contact with her, felt my harsh ruse slamming down over my features like steel bars. I was a guardian too, and I wasn't going to say anything else until I could get more information. "No reason," I brushed it off casually. "I just overheard a group of royal students saying that the Headmistress had her own pack of them, I should've known better than to buy into silly campus gossip. Sorry."

She absolutely knew I was lying, but nevertheless, Petrov nodded at me, and left me sitting in the lounge in silence. I breathed out the tension that had been suffocating me, and looked down at my abandoned PB&J. It had gone stale. With a grunt of annoyance, I tossed it in the garbage can and went back to my room, hoping to get a peaceful night's sleep so that I could think more clearly in the morning.

Peaceful wasn't exactly the right word to describe my dreams that night.

The nightmares were the same as they were any other time I closed my eyes. I saw Ivan die in various ways, the scenery of my subconscious constantly shifting to fit new scenarios. Some didn't even make sense. I saw my friend gutted by Strigoi, their red eyes bright against the darkness of the room as they glanced at me with feral glee over Ivan's exposed insides, their fangs glinting with the scarlet promise of his blood. I saw Ivan hit by a semi-truck, the sickening squelch of his body replaying in my mind as I approached his mangled form. I saw Ivan jump from the top of a building with a blank expression, looking back to stare into my eyes as he let loose a monotonous, spine-chilling scream. In that dream, when I'd found his suicide note, there had been only one thing written, like an accusation, in his sloppy scrawl: _Belikov._

The last in my sequence of nightmares was unfamiliar. I found myself in a field of grass the kind of green I'd thought of when describing Russia, and knew that was where I was. I sparred with Rose in the middle of the field, and the sun shone down on us. We weren't confined to the darkness being guardians forced us into, and I could see tints of red in her hair that weren't noticeable at night.

"Try a little harder than that, Comrade," Rose laughed, and the free sound echoed in the empty field. I noticed wild flowers sprouting sporadically around us. I was happy here. The memory of the horrific sequences before this one were already fading into nonexistence. Instead of fighting her any longer, I playfully grabbed Rose around her waist, and the practice stake she'd been holding flew from her grasp as she gasped in surprise. Her arms went around my shoulders, and I took us to the ground, holding myself above her as her dark hair fanned around her head, weaving in and out of the grass. I lowered my weight onto her, and wordlessly kissed her temple. Rose shuddered.

"How about we _try_ something else?" I could hear the desire in my voice, feel it where my body pressed into hers. I let my hand wander to caress her cheek, and then tangle in her hair, which was softer than down feathers between my fingers, just as I'd thought it would be. I nuzzled my nose into the hollow of her throat, and she smelled faintly of the fresh flowers and the grass around us. Her collarbone hitched under my lips as she sucked in a breath.

Suddenly, Rose rolled us so that she straddled my hips, hovering above me. Strands of sunlight broke through her dark hair as it fell forward to frame her face. Her lips pulled into a sweet smile, and there was a look in her eyes that I'd never seen directed at me before. I couldn't quite place it. Before I could think more about it, her lips collapsed onto mine, and all was lost as we clashed together. The taste of her created a frenzy within me—and I _wanted_ her, now. Feeling barely in control of myself—I didn't need to be here—I clutched Rose's body to mine. With a mewl, she tugged my shirt over my head, kissing her way around my chest. When she got to my throat, she nipped possessively at the skin there, hard enough to leave a mark. With a primal growl I didn't recognize, I flipped her onto her stomach. Suddenly, the majority of her clothes were gone, and her bronzed skin was free for me to roam. I caressed it, kissed it, left marks with my teeth and tongue, until she was a quivering mess beneath my body.

"Dimitri, Dimitri, Dimitri," she whispered like a prayer, and I could have fallen at her feet for the way she made my name sound. I couldn't wait to be inside of her. The beast that had flared to life within me wanted me to claim her, in every position, at every speed and depth, had wanted her to be _mine_ from the moment I'd seen her; like animals in the wild chose mates _, I chose my Roza_.

Suddenly, though, in the way dreams dip and stutter in time, Rose wasn't beneath me anymore. I stood, coming face to face with the two people from my past who haunted my present without respite; Ivan Zeklos, and my former mentor, Galina.

Galina, her newly acquired red eyes narrowed, held Rose by the throat, an evil smile slashing across her white face like a streak of blood. "Well, well," she purred. I flinched. Her voice was exactly as it had been in life, but with an unmistakably cold undertone.

"What have we got here? No fraternizing with students, Belikov," She chastised playfully. She glanced at Ivan, who stood silently beside her. "Haven't you already learned that getting close to them will only get you hurt?"

I hadn't noticed before I'd looked at him, but Ivan stood, pale and still as a corpse, his eyes lined in dark blue rings. He wore his usual half-unbuttoned dress shirt and jeans, his hair properly ruffled as it had always been. But the image was warped. His throat had been slit untidily, blood long having dried stuck to his skin. His mouth was a straight, unfeeling line instead of being turned up into a smirk, and his eyes stared unblinking, appearing hazed and milky; he was a dead body standing.

Horrified, I turned my attention back to where Galina had Rose held against her side, as if they were friends catching up with a night out on the town. But Rose struggled against the hold, still in only her underclothes. She was outraged, throwing punches and slaps against Galina's marble skin, and failing in every attempt. Fear coated all of my thoughts and senses, incapacitating me.

I didn't even know if I could take Galina down; she was the one who had taught me all I knew, and would undoubtedly remember the way I fought. And she was a Strigoi now, which made her all the more difficult to kill.

"Galina," I said, carefully. I held my hands out as if to stop an attack. But she was calm. She didn't want to attack. So what did she want?

She laughed, her red hair moving with the breeze. Somewhere in my mind, I wondered why the Strigoi wasn't already dead, exposed to this much sunlight. But dreams didn't take account of that sort of thing.

"What I want, Dimitri, is for you to join me." Her smile turned sickeningly fond as she looked at me, Rose seemingly forgotten in her unbreakable grip. "You were my prize student. We would be an unstoppable team." Her voice turned as dreamy as a Strigoi's could, before it hardened again with her next words.

" _She_ is the only thing stopping us." She glared at Rose with a hatred unknown to man, and before I could stop it, Galina dove for the supple skin of her neck, and Rose screamed as the Strigoi sank its fangs into her flesh.

With a stuttering gasp, I woke in my bed, not even close to resting against the pillows. My covers had been kicked to the floor, and I was covered in sweat. I knew I had been writhing and kicking in my sleep. My body shook so badly that when I tried to stand, my legs wouldn't let me.

When I was finally calm enough to stand, I pulled my damp hair into a ponytail. Collecting myself from the horrid dream, I looked at my clock. It was only three o'clock in the afternoon, the middle of the night by Moroi standards. I pulled back the curtains to my room and was met with the bright daylight. It was a beautiful day, sky a clear blue, birds chirping delightedly as they chased each other through the brisk air. Almost as beautiful as the day in my dream had been, before…

My dream. I couldn't possibly find sleep again after that dream. Decidedly, I took a cold five-minute shower, letting the sticky feel of the sweat be washed down the drain. I imagined those dreams drowning with it. After my shower, I dressed and found my way to the tracks. Here, I could think.

As I ran, letting the sunlight bathe my darkness in its warmth, I couldn't help but to mull over the dream I'd had. There were parts of it already fading from my memory, but the majority of it came through loud and clear.

Me. Rose. Happy. Sexy. Lovely.

Galina. Ivan. Strigoi. Fear. _Roza._

It had been one of the most horrific dreams I'd had since Ivan's death, and that was saying something. But what did it mean? Though I was embarrassed by it, I could reason why I had fantasied about Roza— _Rose_ —in my dreams. I hadn't been with a woman, even dated or kissed or flirted, in what had to be going on three or four years. I had grown lonely, and—admittedly—horny. And Rose was crazily attractive, already the focus of every guy at the Academy. It would make sense for my brain, and my stupid male interest, to overcome me and instill her scantily clad body into my unconscious mind, no matter how wrong it was. And Ivan was a constant in my dreams already, having appeared in every one of them since his death. It made sense for him to be there, too.

But why Galina?

My former instructor had been captured in a Strigoi attack a few years back, and they had turned her into one of them by force-feeding her their blood. I'd had to hear about it through an old classmate of mine, and I'd nearly been sick for days thinking about my mentor being cheated the mercy that death would have been to her, in favor of being turned into an undead monster. I'd never had a nightmare about it before now, and I wondered if it was just my mind trying to hit me everywhere at once. And the way she'd threatened Rose in the dream—I could picture her hand gripping Rose's brown curls—was that supposed to symbolize some fear of mine?

I thought maybe it had a deeper meaning. Was I afraid I wouldn't teach Rose well enough as her mentor, that I would let her stay weak? Still exhausted, I gave it a rest, deciding that there was a metaphor, or symbolism hidden there somewhere that I didn't fully grasp. I wasn't in any mental state to psychoanalyze myself at the moment, and I opted to get a coffee from the constantly refilled pot in the lounge. Soon, I found myself wandering the vacant campus, even though I wasn't on shift anytime soon, and could've spent the time valiantly trying to get more rest. I found more peace in the quietly fading daylight. Eventually, I found a large tree near the front of the campus, and I lounged against its trunk and waited for the sunset. It was something I'd longed to witness again for weeks now, and the view did not disappoint. Soft red and vibrant pink streaked over the sky, seeming to blanket the mountains as they were set to rest. As night approached and the vampiric day started, I was appreciative that at least the mountains were allowed their repose.

 **/**

 **Whoa, okay. That was a really fun chapter to write. In my mind, the moment Dimitri started thinking of Rose as** ** _Roza_** **was very important, and I thought it fit perfectly in the dream situation. I don't know, there was a lot of hidden stuff in there, and I hope you appreciated it. Remember that reviews are what keep the story going! Leave me a review and I'll keep writing for you. Is it a deal? ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you all so much for the splendid reviews on the last chapter! I appreciate each and every one that I get, so please don't forget to let me know your thoughts on this chapter! Also, I'm sorry if the use of Russian bothers anyone; I thought it would make it feel a lot more Dimitri-esque, and I'm also learning the language, and incorporating it into my writing is a great studying technique. Comments are what keep the chapters coming, don't forget! Lol, enjoy!**

 **/**

The next week was tedious and incredibly slow moving, but I also learned a lot. I trained with Rose, getting more of a feel for what areas were her weakest through a few fitness assessments, and wasn't surprised to find she was behind in almost everything from physical endurance to her knowledge of basic guarding techniques. Each day she showed up to practice looking even worse for wear than the day before, her muscles undoubtedly screaming at her. But I could see the determination growing in her, and she became more accustomed to me and her training as the days came and went. I hadn't had anybody that I considered a friend since Ivan, but as I spent more time with her, I could see Hathaway and I had the potential to be great friends, and even partners guarding the princess, if she threw herself into her training and was able to join me when she graduated.

On Sunday, I made my way to the Academy's chapel along with the crowd of students, and was surprised to find more guardians than usual taking their seats in the pews. I didn't know many guardians that believed in any sort of higher power—or at least, had unquestioning faith in any god. Once someone has seen so many unholy things, so much widespread injustice and horror, it was difficult to believe that there was some sort of benevolent puppet master directing everything for the sake of eventual, overall good. And me? I didn't attend the service every Sunday because I was necessarily religious—most of the time I didn't even listen to the sermon—but the atmosphere here calmed me, gave me some sort of respite from my constantly working mind. The silence, and the calmness of the chapel as the pastor spoke tied me to memories of home, attending church with my family before I'd been sent out to fulfil my duties to the Moroi.

I smiled faintly as I took my usual seat in the back of the chapel, almost able to hear the sounds of my sisters bickering with each other over curls and uncomfortable dresses, Mama and I policing them into silence as the service began. In the present, I heard a loud, dramatic sigh that stood apart from the rest of the pre-service chatter. I turned in my seat and was shocked to find Rose Hathaway stalking down the aisle with a look of contempt on her face. She paused there, and even though I was as unnoticeable as possible in the far corner of the pew, she immediately caught sight of me, her eyebrows twitching to show she was experiencing the same surprise seeing me here as I had when I'd seen her.

Her gaze, as always, was scrutinizing in a way that made me want to both avert my gaze and never look away from her. The illumination cast by the candelabras stationed on the walls created a balance of shadow and orange light that spread ominously across the planes of her tanned face, and I couldn't help but think that she looked like an avenging angel; a few of her delicate curls framing her face, her coat pulled securely around her, her glare unbreakable.

Her gaze detached from mine as Vasilisa flounced up beside her, and the spell was broken. She said something that made Rose roll her eyes and look around the chapel with her eyes narrowed in distaste.

I refused the knowing smile that tried to possess my features, and turned back towards the front. Of course Rose wasn't here because of the service. She was a social creature, the opposite of me, and had seen this as a loophole out of Kirova's social prohibition. Though as she and Vasilisa took their seats in the middle of the room, Rose glanced briefly back to where I sat, and I had to reconsider. Rose and I were here for different reasons, but the outcome was the same; I was here to find peace in solitude, and yet I knew Rose was here to find peace as well, only _her_ peace came from being by the princess's side.

It was truly awe-inspiring that a novice had more dedication to her best friend than I'd seen guardians have towards families they'd guarded for fifteen years. I wondered, not for the first time, if this kind of loyalty was a part of Rose's relationship to everyone she cared about, or if it was specific to the princess.

Several times throughout the service, I found myself glancing at her—and amazingly— kind of wishing that I were sat next to Rose instead of in the back all by myself. Chapel was always reserved for my "me" time, so I wasn't sure why I longed to have company now. Maybe I truly was too lonesome for my own good.

As the service ended, and people began rising from their seats, I glanced around for Rose. I wanted to speak to her, though I knew I had nothing of importance to say. I figured I would just pass it off as reminding her of her practice in the morning, though I knew she wouldn't have forgotten about it. Maybe I could chastise her for being late, even though I was sometimes thankful for her tardiness; it gave me time to catch up on my reading. I lost track of her in the crowd, and once it had cleared a little, I was once again shocked by her. She stood at the front of the chapel, conversing somewhat nervously with the priest. I kept to the shadows, unnoticed, as the priest gave her a faintly disapproving look before walking away. A moment later he came back wielding a large tome, and handed it over to her. Rose smiled gratefully and hurried from the chapel to catch up with the princess.

Still befuddled, I waited until the last of the crowd filed out the doors, and walked out of the chapel behind them. What in the world did Rose need with that big of a book? And one given to her from a priest, no less? I shook it off, reasoning with myself. If you looked beyond her reckless, insubordinate front, Rose was indeed a very intelligent person, more so than most people below the age of twenty-five. I wouldn't let myself underestimate her, as I knew most everyone at this school did.

I passed by Rose and Vasilisa in the doorway, though neither seemed to notice me. They were speaking with a Moroi student, and I could feel his nervousness with being in Rose's presence. The kid might as well have been wiping sweat off his forehead as she gave him a level, expectant stare. I stood off to the side of them, hidden as I always was. I supposed it was because of how quiet and reserved I usually acted, but there was a quality to me that made me practically invisible in a crowd, despite my size and my reputation.

"Seriously?" Rose said in response to something I hadn't heard. "Are they, like, going to run off together?"

I felt my hackles rising at the prospect of someone else "running off", when the princess replied to her, and I realized who they were talking about.

"They're getting a house. Going to get jobs with humans, I guess." The princess shrugged. The Badica guardians. It had been impossible not to hear the gossip circulating about the two guardians, who had fallen in love, and had given up their guardian statuses to build a life together. I knew the prospect of such a thing was foreign to anyone here, but when I'd heard the news, I hadn't been nearly as surprised or scandalized as everybody else. I'd grown up in a commune, and it wasn't uncommon there for dhampirs to marry each other, many of them getting local small town jobs in favor of being a guardian. It wouldn't have made local news if it had happened in my hometown, but here it spread like wildfire.

As I thought, I'd tuned out of the conversation for a moment. "They think it's stupid." I heard the boy scoff, and could tell he agreed. "Oh. I didn't mean—" He quickly tried to correct himself, and I had to chuckle inwardly. Normally, a royal would stand by whatever his initial opinion had been, but with Rose Hathaway present, it was clear he was terrified of getting his ass kicked.

"Whatever." Rose snapped back at him. "It _is_ stupid."

I hadn't expected that response from the rebellious girl, and from the tightness in her smile and the forced casualness in her voice, I wondered if she really did believe her own words. As their conversation died down, I had to shake myself to realize that I was standing, like a creeper, and listening to them talk for no apparent reason. I took off striding in the other direction, planning to get to the gym while it was still vacant, when I heard a high pitched shriek behind me. I whipped back around, in full guardian mode, and checked my pocket for my stake. As I came closer, I realized it had been Rose's shriek, and sped my stride. It didn't really register that the wards were up and fully functioning, and that Rose couldn't possibly be in danger, until I got close enough to glance through the accumulating crowd enough to see her. The princess was huddled beside her, sopping wet, and Rose was hurriedly stripping her own jacket to cover the girl, though she wasn't much better off herself.

As Vasilisa changed into the offered jacket, Rose stood protectively in front of her, and I thought that she really was like a mother to the princess, defending her at every turn, no matter how minor the situation. She faced off with a short, child-like Moroi girl who I only vaguely recognized. I thought this might be the "Rinaldi girl" the guardian had mentioned the other day in the hallway. I was too far from them to hear what they were saying, but I inched continually closer in case Rose lashed out, or provoked the other girl into a fight. Some idiot boys were catcalling Rose, and I quelled the urge to snap at them, knowing with my control issues I'd no doubt earn a citation of my own.

"Nothing to me." I heard Rose say, and was impressed at how level and calm her voice sounded, though I could detect her seething anger, thinly veiled behind her civility. "But Ms. Kirova will probably have something to say when she finds out you used magic against another student."

That she certainly would, if such a claim were true. I glanced around and noticed that Rose and the princess had been the only ones hit with the onslaught of melting snow, and concluded that it was the most likely explanation. The girls hadn't had the best of reputations since returning, and it wouldn't surprise me if this Rinaldi kid felt a personal responsibility to show them just that.

"That wasn't an attack. It was an act of God." Rinaldi scoffed, gesturing to the church behind them. That earned her the crowd's praise, and she seemed to be reveling in it, like a puppy being given a belly rub. Teenagers truly were savage creatures. Rose and Vasilisa conversed quietly, and Rose gave the crowd another scathing glare before grabbing the princess's wrist and pushing through the crowd and back towards their dorms. Once again, I had been impressed by her. According to her reputation, and even what I'd seen with my own eyes, it was virtually impossible for Rose to walk away from a fight, and she'd had prime opportunity to do some damage. And instead, she'd walked away. Though even as I commended her for her gain of control, I felt my own tenuous hold start to slip as the crowd drew together to shout things after them, most of them consisting of vulgar comments about Rose's wet clothes.

As soon as the girls were safely out of sight, I raised my voice, stepping into the middle of the crowd, warning the teenagers to disperse from in front of the chapel. It didn't take anything else for them to sober themselves and shy away from my gaze. The crowd broke up within seconds, leaving the air around the church quiet and solemn once more.

 **/**

The next weeks passed uneventfully. I made my rounds, I drank my coffee, and I avoided Guardian Petrov like the plague. She'd stopped giving me suspicious looks from across a room, but I still hadn't gotten any further on the psi-hound front, and wasn't ready to confront her again. I debated going directly to the Headmistress and asking her, as she would most likely know something, but I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself than was necessary. I even reasoned that Rose could have been lying, trying to make herself seem the victim, but that really didn't seem like her, despite what Kirova might have thought. And if I let what Rose had said slip in front of Kirova, she might just be inclined to disregard whatever else she'd said and expel her, and I wouldn't let that happen. Not when we were finally progressing with her training.

I soon found that Rose was a remarkably quick learner, though that was something I wouldn't dare say to her for fear of her ego swelling even further. Despite how she grumbled about the running, and about her classmates besting her, she hadn't thrown a fit or refused any of the activities. I think she knew how important the training was, and I had to wonder if my words to her that day after Alto's class had had any part in her attitude now, or if she was just too prideful and stubborn to be seen as weak by anybody. I could relate to either of those motives. Especially, I admitted, the latter of the two.

I found myself liking Rose more and more as the days passed, and I could see her relaxing enough around me that I began to see who she truly was, instead of being blocked by the wall of snark she put up to ward people off. Before, I'd been able to glimpse it, like light shining periodically through cracks in cement, but now she seemed to loosen her hold slightly. And, shockingly, I could feel the same deterioration of my own defenses when I was around her.

One morning, as we finished our laps—hers still painfully slow—I tossed her a still cold bottle of water from my bag. As she caught it, she smiled at me, and said casually, "Спасибо, Dimitri."

I cocked my head at her, surprised. Of course, it wasn't one of the more difficult Russian words by far; it wasn't even the most difficult way to say "thank you", but I knew she didn't know any Russian, thanks to her frequent pestering for me to teach her the swear words of my native tongue.

In response to my look, she rolled her eyes with exasperation, though I thought I saw a blush creep up around her cheeks. Rose, blushing? It must have been a response to her physical exertion. "Well, since _you_ so rudely refuse to teach me any Russian, I looked it up myself."

"Don't look at me like I just sprouted an extra head. It was just a thank you. Jeez." She snapped after another moment, her face souring in what I could only guess was embarrassment. This girl.

After studying her for another moment, I smirked, and replied, "Пожалуйста." I hiked my bag up onto my shoulder and headed back towards the gym.

Rose hurried to trail behind me, and said pointedly, "See, you could have just called me a bitch, and I wouldn't know because you won't teach me. What if I have to have a political debate with a Russian person some day? I'll look like an idiot, thanks to you!" She delved into a rant, and I didn't bother to hide my smile, or hurry my pace towards the gym.

A week or so after that, Rose sauntered into the gym. I swore under my breath, hoping she hadn't heard and wouldn't start hounding me about the Russian cursing again. I was so close to being finished with the book—only about thirty pages—and the plot was building towards the climax exceptionally fast. She paused in front of me, and I thought maybe if I stayed _very still_ she wouldn't notice I was there. I kept my eyes trained on my book.

"Whoa, Dimitri," she drawled, as if she were stalling a horse. "I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"

Smartass. I admitted "When Doves Cry" was probably the song that sounded most like it had been pulled from an 80s time capsule, but Prince deserved at least some respect. And I'd listened to the song constantly as a kid, as the lyrics had unavoidably reminded me of my own hot temper.

 _Maybe, maybe I'm just like my father,_ the lyrics resonated from the speakers of the old CD player as I looked up at Rose. She stood above me with her hands resting firmly on her curved hips. I reached over to turn down the volume, but restarted the song just to annoy her. "What does it matter to you? I'm the one who's going to be listening to it. You'll be outside running."

I would run with her, but I was far too engrossed in my book. I would probably finish it before she was done with her laps anyway, and would join her halfway through. Rolling her eyes, Rose got started on her stretches. She balanced her foot on a nearby bar and stretched forward, working on her hamstring. My eyes raked over her before I could stop them, and I swallowed, my throat suddenly very dry.

 _Dig if you will the picture_

 _Of you and I engaged in a kiss_

 _The sweat of your body covers me_

 _Can you my darling_

 _Can you picture this?_

Prince groused over the speakers, and I wondered if I was the only one to notice it. Rose, unbeknownst to my attention, moved into a toe touch stretch, her back facing me. She held the position, groaning pleasurably, her backside in the air. _Блядь_ _._ I wouldn't have been able to take my eyes off of her if I wanted to.

She straightened, tossing her long chocolate curls behind her as she moved into an arm stretch, still not facing me. She crossed one over the other, and her shirt rode up to expose a strip of perfectly bronzed, toned stomach. Yes, the crunches had definitely done her well.

 _Touch if you will my stomach_

 _Feel how it trembles inside_

"Hey," Rose said, glancing over her shoulder. I snapped my eyes back to the book that sat, forgotten in my hands. "what's with all the running anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting? They're still killing me in group practice."

I stared, unseeing, at the words on the page. God, it was hard to think right now. What was going on with me?

"Maybe you should hit harder." I retorted, and winced at the way my voice sounded to my own ears. I hoped she thought I was just too interested in my book to be having a normal conversation.

"I was serious." She retorted, finally turning to look at me. The sight of her face brought me to attention. This was my student. Not a person I was allowed to be attracted to. My student.

"Hard to tell the difference." I muttered, more in response to my own thoughts than to her words.

With a sigh, I set the useless book down beside me but didn't change my sprawled position on the floor. I told myself it was because I didn't want to move, but really, I had a spectacular view of her from down here. "My job is to get you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?"

"Yup."

"So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do?"

The premise of my question could be seen on any basic test in a novice classroom, but I wanted a deeper answer from her.

Rose didn't think before she quipped back, "Depends what store we're in." I could see the logic behind that answer (anything can become a weapon if you need it to be one) but I knew she hadn't meant it in that way. She'd meant for me to laugh, stand up, and offer to show her the correct stance for a right hook and hand over a practice stake. Not going to happen. I stared her down until she acquiesced, actually putting some thought into it.

"Fine. I'll stab him with a silver stake." Her arms crossed over her chest.

I sat up and crossed my legs, looking at her levelly. She was playing right into the lesson I was trying to teach. "Oh? Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?"

She scowled at the wall, and my eyes dragged down her body to notice her foot tapping in irritation. I'd never seen anyone in real life angrily tap their foot, and Rose doing it was indescribably cute.

"Okay. I'll cut his head off." She sniped, and I looked back at her patiently.

"Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?" Which wasn't unlikely for her—she was among the shortest, feistiest guardians I'd ever laid eyes on.

The foot sped its tapping, and Rose, fidgeting, did another toe touch, as if to calm her angry foot. "Fine, then I'll set him on fire."

"Again," I raised my eyebrows for emphasis. "With what?"

"All right, I give up. You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?" She looked as if she expected me to delve into some complicated take-down plan, with blueprints and all, but the answer was really quite simple, and something I'd had to learn the hard way.

I caught her attention, and made sure neither of us looked away as I said, "You run."

But staring into those big eyes, I suddenly wished that she would never have to run from anything.

I immediately shook the thought away, and after Rose finished looking like she was about to burst with her frustration, we went out into the cool autumn air for her laps. I ran with her, enjoying the sounds of our shoes hitting the cold track, echoing in the silence. I could tell Rose was struggling to breathe in the icy air, but my lungs were used to worse than this. Maybe the weather in Russia was a _bit_ more severe than that of Montana, I admitted to myself. I noticed her pushing herself near the end of our run, and resisted the urge to chastise her for it. Rose was a lot like me in the stubbornness department, and I wouldn't have accepted that any more than I knew she would.

Rose was panting heavily when a group of students—male students—passed by the tracks. I glanced over and noticed Mason Ashford among them, who gave her a thumbs up and a huge smile. "Good form, Rose!" he cheered encouragingly. Rose grinned back at him and waved to her fans, her spirits seeming to spark to life in a way they hadn't all morning.

And then, some dark, foreign emotion came over me, and I snapped at her, "You're slowing down." She wasn't. "Is this why your times aren't getting any faster? You're easily distracted?"

Rose frowned at me in confusion, and I could tell I'd hurt her feelings when she sped her pace even more to get away from me. I cursed myself. Why had I even said that? It was as if I'd been possessed, and as I ran the rest of the way, I realized why I was so upset with myself over my own comment. In that moment, when I'd been jealous of someone else getting Rose's attention, I'd snapped at her as if it were her fault, and I'd criticized something about her—her running times—while I was at it. And that reaction? It reminded me way too much of my father, and the way he'd treated my mother. I'd always been afraid of losing control, of letting myself act like _him_ —because I knew our tempers were similar, deep down.

And, my entire life, I'd been good at keeping my temper in control. I was good at keeping everything about myself under control. But, Rose Hathaway seemed to just strip every ounce of it away. And I didn't think there was anything I could really do to stop it.

When we finished the run, I checked the stopwatch, and saw that Rose had shaved a full two minutes off of her previous time, and I felt a swell of pride and regret grow within me. She'd probably only shaved those minutes off because she'd sped up trying to distance herself from me, because I'd been a complete bastard to her.

"Not bad, huh?" she whooped as we headed back inside. Her embarrassment seemed to have evaporated, but mine hadn't. "Looks like I could get as far as the Limited before the Strigoi got me at the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do."

"If she was with you, she'd be okay." I said quietly, but confidently. It was true. Rose had been trying her damndest to catch up on school, and it seemed like she hadn't stopped protecting her best friend since they had gotten back. I hadn't given her nearly enough credit, mostly in fear of her giant ego. I wondered suddenly if the bravado was as much as a front as her sarcasm. Maybe Rose Hathaway wasn't as in love with herself as she made everyone around her believe.

She looked at me, completely caught off guard by comment, and I decided that ego be damned, I would be praising her more for the good things she did. A warm affection began to grow in her eyes that took my breath away—but suddenly, terror flooded her features. A guttural gasp escaped her mouth, and I knew this moment was no longer about us.

Without another word to me, Rose took off in the direction of the Moroi dorms, running faster than I'd ever seen her run before.

 **/**

 **Translations:**

 **Спасибо:** Thank you

 **Пожалуйста:** You're welcome

 **Блядь:** Fuck


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! My mother is in recovery from surgery, so guess who has taken over the position of matriarch,** ** _and_** **nurse-maid? (It's me.) So, yeah, I've just been a little busy and distracted, but hopefully you guys find joy in this chapter! I just love the challenge of getting into Dimitri's head. Anyway...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **/**

I took off after Rose, realizing quickly that in her desperation to get to wherever I assumed the princess was, she was easily outrunning me. I caught up to her in record speed, though.

"Rose," I shouted after her. "Rose, what's happened?"

Even as I got close enough to reach out to her, she wouldn't respond. After a moment, I decided to save my breath and just wait to see where she took us. Oh, God, the princess. Oh, no, no, no.

The faces of all of the people I'd failed flashed across my vision, and I felt myself start to panic. Ivan, his mother, his girlfriend, the guardians who had been on duty that night. I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't. I repeated a mantra to this same effect in my head, until we came upon the towering ivy-covered building of the Moroi dorms, and Vasilisa came running towards us, her pale face frighteningly even sallower than usual. Instincts kicked in, and I scanned her for any wounds, as well as the surrounding area for signs of a threat. Rose had come to a screeching halt, and grabbed Vasilisa firmly by the shoulders.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Her voice was not frightened as any other teenager's would be, but calm and authoritative. Like she was already Vasilisa's guardian.

The princess said nothing, only collapsing into Rose's arms and letting loose huge, wracking sobs. Rose's arms went around the princess, stroking her hair, murmuring reassurances into her ear. Her eyes were sharp and alert as she took in the scenery over the princess's head, apparently not finding a threat, just as I hadn't. Still, I stood protectively over them both, ready to fight for them.

After a long period of sobbing, Vasilisa seemed to calm down, and Rose gently lifted the princess's face between her hands. She met the princess's eyes and said in an unbelievably soothing tone for the seemingly callous girl, "Tell us what happened, Liss. Let me help you."

"I couldn't save it, Rose," Vasilisa blubbered, shaking her head side to side. She sniffled brokenly. "I tried, but it was too late!"

Rose and I exchanged a worried glance. Sighing, I paged the Headmistress, before leading the girls inside the building. Less than thirty minutes later, we were crammed into the small dorm room alongside frantic school officials, who were trying their best to pretend they knew what to do.

I was quite skilled at keeping my emotions from showing. After all, it was my duty to constantly be standing against a wall somewhere, blank-faced and indifferent until someone needed protecting. My guardian mask was second nature to me, but right now, it was difficult to keep my disgust from showing as I stared into the vacant eyes of the dead fox on my charge's bed. Its reddish-orange coat was matted, where blood had pulsed from the slit along its neck and down into its fur. It lay there limply, with its dark tongue hanging out of its mouth like some sort of twisted cartoon death—and it felt like a threat. I could vaguely discern the sounds of the Headmistress speaking with another guardian about unusual acts of bullying, and I wondered how they could think this was anything less than the foreshadowing of something much, much worse.

I chanced a look at the girls. Rose's gaze was fixed on the pitiful creature, her jaw working. Her eyes seemed to roil and churn as they did in moments of particularly intense emotion, and I knew then that despite her steely expression, she felt no less disturbed than I did. The princess stood with her, making a more sorrowful sight than the dead creature whose blood stained her cheerily colored sheets. Her hand was outstretched, her lip trembling as she stared at the fox with more compassion and regret than I had ever seen a person display. Rose grabbed the princess's arm and pulled her to another corner of the room. I moved to surreptitiously follow them, when Headmistress Kirova caught my eye, inclining her head for me to approach her.

She wasted no time, starting to speak before I was standing still. "Belikov. _What_ is Hathaway doing here? This is a private student matter."

"Rosemarie and I were finishing our morning training when she sensed through the bond that there was something wrong with the princess." I explained, thinking the truth would be enough to calm the woman. Rose had done nothing wrong, so I was quite puzzled at the enraged look on the Headmistress's face.

Her lip curled. "Get her out of the Moroi dorms, Guardian Belikov." She dismissed, and turned her tight face away from me, going back into a pointless conversation with the dorm matron.

And for the first time in as long as I could remember, I didn't take the dismissal and retreat, as I should have. As I was trained to do. Shaking my head, I reached out for the sleeve of her stiffly ironed suit jacket, thinking twice when her hawk-like gaze settled on me with obvious annoyance. "Headmistress Kirova?" I inquired, and snatched her full attention back from the dorm matron, who gave me an exasperated glare.

"Yes, Belikov?"

"You do understand…that had Rose not been able to sense Vasilisa's distress and rushed here…there is a possibility the princess could have been in real danger. She could have been hurt."

I didn't know if Headmistress Kirova didn't see the severity of the situation, or if she just really disliked Rose too much to see her for her merits; but either way, she narrowed her eyes on me once more. She said coolly, "I don't see your point, Guardian Belikov. Now, please, do escort Miss Hathaway to her morning classes."

With that, she turned on her heel, and acted as if I was no longer of importance. To her, I supposed I wasn't. And neither was Rose. I was starting to understand Rose's strong antipathy towards the Headmistress.

With a troubled shake of my head, I turned to find Rose and the princess, so that I could carry out my duties.

"It's stupid. Somebody's stupid joke. They'll clean it up. Probably even give you a new room if you want." I picked her voice immediately from the clamor of everyone else's. I that saw she and the princess were still huddled in the corner Rose had led them to earlier. Rose gripped Vasilisa's arms tightly, and it had been anyone else handling my charge that way, I would have had to intervene. But it was clear from her tone and stance that she was trying desperately to get the princess to see reason. Coming from Rose Hathaway, it was an interesting motive.

"Rose….do you remember…. that one time…" Vasilisa was shaking her blonde head back and forth, almost frantic with whatever she was referring to.

"Stop it," Rose snapped sternly, shaking the girl. "Forget about it. This isn't the same thing."

I had no way to know what they were talking about, but felt my jaw tighten resolutely nonetheless. There was clearly a secret they were keeping—perhaps _the_ secret, the one I had known existed since I'd met them—and like I'd suspected before, I knew I needed to know what it was for the sake of protecting my charge.

"What if someone saw? What if someone knows..."

The princess flinched when Rose readjusted her hands on her arms, tightening their grip. "No. It's not the same." She insisted. I had the strong inclination to believe it _was_ the same, whatever it was. I'd known this was no act of bullying. This had to be it. Whatever the girls were talking about, I needed to get to the bottom of it. "It has nothing to do with that. Do you hear me?"

When the princess didn't immediately respond, her voice suddenly turned soft, soothing. "It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

Rose's brown curls covered her face, so I had no idea if she really believed those words, or if she was just saying them to calm Vasilisa's frantic state. I narrowed my eyes on her. What was she hiding? My eyes shifted between the two girls, but eventually landed back on Rose. She was in charge of this situation, or at least she and the princess thought she was. I'd need to get it out of her somehow.

Just then, Kirova barked out some sort of order, and Rose's gaze snapped to mine. I sucked in a quick breath, felt my blood rush a little faster through my veins. I averted my eyes from hers.

"Belikov." The Headmistress snapped. She nodded towards Rose, and I had to suppress an eye roll, which was an unusual turn of events. No matter what, I always respected authority…but Kirova was proving herself to be particularly annoying.

As I approached the girls, Vasilisa was dragged away to speak with the hall matron. "Hey!" Rose objected, moving to follow them. The offended look on her face made me think of a child not wanting to share her toys, and I repressed my chuckle in light of the situation.

"Rose," I cleared my throat. "I have to bring you to class now."

She curled her lip at me, the friendly air from this morning having vanished. "Are you kidding me? I have to be here, for Lissa! I'm not going to leave her all alone."

"She won't be alone," I said, softening my voice. I understood her protectiveness over the princess. I could tell from her fierce demeanor that she wasn't being obstinate; she knew, just as I did, that this was no harmless act of bullying, and that the princess could be in real danger. Only she knew something I didn't.

Rose crossed her arms and planted her feet on the floor. She raised both eyebrows challengingly. Great. She wasn't going to move. I sighed in frustration, running a hand through my hair. "What if I order a few extra guardians to shadow her? Would that make you feel better?"

She narrowed her big eyes and tilted her head. She was thinking about it. What could I add to sweeten the deal?

"What if I shadowed her today, as well? I'll make sure she stays safe."

Rose's eyes softened just slightly on me, and I would have paid a million dollars to know what she was thinking. Maybe it was the conviction in my tone, or maybe she realized that I was being courteous by not throwing her over my shoulder and forcing her from the room, but Rose nodded her head and followed me out of the door.

We waded through the now dispersing crowd of Moroi girls outside of Vasilisa's room, and I could hear a few choice words mumbled from Rose as she elbowed her way through the mass gathering of girls. Luckily, the majority of them either recognized Rose's sour temper, or my massive form, and they moved out of our way easily. We stayed quiet for most of the walk. Rose had requested she go back to her room and gather a few things for the day, and so we were walking down the vacant hallway of the girl dhampir dorms in a comfortable silence. Scanning the dust gathering at the threshold to each door, I wondered if Rose ever got lonely up here. There were maybe thirty or forty other female novices at St. Vladimir's, and though I could tell Rose had more of a tomboy personality, she had to feel some sort of isolation from the other students. Her peculiar bond with the princess had to make her feel even more different from the rest of the student body. I wondered too, if she had found anything out in the human world that made her feel like she belonged. Maybe not _all_ of her efforts had been for the princess's sake, after all.

As we reached the door to her room, I suddenly remembered that I had been intending to interrogate her during our walk. It seemed, around Rose, I often lost my train of thought, and let my mind trail to wherever it felt like.

"You know something. Something about what happened." I didn't even bother to add in a questioning note to my voice. If she knew I was already onto their little secret, maybe she would see it pointless to deny my accusations. Maybe she would even feel comfortable enough by now to confide in me. I barely paused for breath before continuing, afraid she would hustle into her room and slam the door in my face.

"Is this what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?"

Rose had asked me to call Vasilisa by her nickname, 'Lissa', and though I was trained to do the opposite when it came to Royal Moroi, maybe this would help Rose to soften up to my line of questioning.

No such luck.

"I don't know anything." Her features had closed off immediately, though her eyes didn't fool me. Tendrils of stress, anger, and fear still lingered in their dark depths. "It's just some sick joke."

Rose was doing her best to avoid eye contact with me, which was smart when you didn't want to get caught in a lie. But her expression spoke for her, so well that I didn't think she would ever be able to hide from me.

"Do you have any idea who'd do it? Or why?"

Rose paused, and the fire in her eyes dimmed slightly as she contemplated. Her head listed to the side, and I already knew that whatever she said next would be the truth. "No. No clue." She said, sounding frustrated.

Dammit. Maybe she didn't know who had done it, but she had more information than she was letting on. If she could only see that I was only trying to help—I knew she wanted to be the sole protector of the princess, but at this point in her training it just wasn't logical. She didn't have the power or the standing to take care of the situation on her own. But, of course, she was more iron-willed than my entire family combined—Babushka included—so, I knew Rose wasn't going to break anytime soon. She had to understand that the only thing I wanted was to protect the princess—she didn't need to fight me on this.

"Rose—" I sighed. "If you know something, tell me. We're on the same side. We both want to protect her. This is serious."

I had no doubt she knew that it was serious—she was the only other person besides me who believed this wasn't a harmless bully playing tricks. At this point, I wondered if she was just fighting me for the sake of fighting. Or if whatever secret they were keeping was so dire that neither of them trusted anyone else to handle it. I had a feeling it was the latter.

Suddenly, Rose spun around to face me, her hair spreading around her head almost as it had in my dream. And I saw pure, molten flame burn in her eyes, all of her rage—her raw emotion—setting its sights on me. In that quick moment of shock, I was the prey, and she was the angry animal protecting her young. _There she is,_ I thought with a brief sweeping of awe. _This_ is what she'd been hiding behind her developing guardian mask all day.

"Yeah, it is serious. It's all serious." She seethed. "And you have me doing laps every day when I should be learning to fight and defend her! If you want to help her, then teach me something! _Teach me how to fight._ I already know how to run away."

I knew she was taking her pent up emotions out on me—it was okay. But I was also faced with the possibility that she was right. Rose obviously knew how to run from a situation, and her times had been improving steadily enough that we could probably start some actual training soon, like I knew she'd been chomping at the bit to do. And honestly, I couldn't wait either. I wanted to see her thrive, wanted to watch how she was in a fight. Until this moment, when I could see the truth in her eyes, I had passed off her eagerness to spar as merely a novice craving action.

But…no. There was a certain desperation, a thirst for knowledge in her charcoal eyes that made me reconsider what I knew of her. Teachers were no better than students with gossip, and all I'd heard of Rose Hathaway was that she was wild, unpredictable, and the most unpromising when it came to showing guardian standards. I'd heard other tales of promiscuity and debauchery among the students, but those I chose not to take any faith in.

And now, with what I saw, I was hit with the sudden certainty that Rose Hathaway was only what she chose to show the world. There had to be a whole other person buried underneath the rubble of what others had deemed her as, the person others had told her she was. Now, I was determined to clear all of it away and find the real woman hiding underneath.

I inclined my head, fighting to keep my thoughts from showing on my face. "Come on. You're late for practice."

 **/**

 **And, thank you very much! Don't forget to review. You'll notice the fewer the reviews, the slower the update. Even if it's just to say, "I liked it!", or "I hated it!", just** ** _say something_** **, people! Until next time. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you to the readers who wished for my mother's recovery. She's doing well now, and her bossiness is coming back full swing! Sorry for the wait, but school has started up again, so it's back to backpacks and notebooks and crowded, sweaty hallways. But, this chapter is extra, extra long, so I hope you enjoy the read. And, as always, don't forget to give me your feedback!**

 **/**

I kept to my promise, shadowing Vasilisa—Lissa—from afar for the rest of the day. She was cast questioning looks from every direction, and she was so caught up trying to shield herself from the comments of passerby that I don't think she noticed me there. The only relief she seemed to achieve was when she seated herself next to Rose at lunch. The air that surrounded Rose had been like static on an old television ever since the fox incident, restless and dangerously irritable. She murmured angrily with Lissa, and though normally I would have tried to respect their privacy, I tried now to eavesdrop in hopes of catching any valuable information. I had no luck on the matter, and my mood soured further the more time passed and Rose didn't notice my presence just behind her. I would have to remind her of the importance of observation in her next lesson. Something in me told me that my displeasure wasn't over Rose's lack of observance of her surroundings, but something more personal. I ignored it with vehemence, shoving the thought into a dark corner of my mind.

I kept silent and focused during the rest of the day, forcing my mind blank before any intruding thoughts could creep past my defenses. The only time my efforts slipped was as I watched the girls reunite once again outside of one of their shared classes—the only class they shared, if I wasn't mistaken. But it wasn't their conversation that distracted me. It was more the one Rose seemed to be indulging in with Jesse Zeklos.

Jesse was much like Ivan, in appearance and in attitude. He had a blond head of hair which looked purposefully ruffled, his clothes always contradicting their fine quality by the wrinkled and rumpled way he wore them, as if he'd just lazed out of bed on a whim. He was charming, and cheeky, and used his attractive features in any way he could. But it was in the way he held himself which made the most difference. Where Ivan had been charming and elegant, Jesse was crude and arrogant. He expected to get his way in every aspect of life, and was prone to throwing fits when he didn't. Where Ivan had been a panther, Jesse was a rat.

I watched helplessly as he set his sights on Rose, flashing perfectly white teeth at her, fangs not excluded. Rose had angled herself towards him, and I could see from even this distance that Jesse's blue eyes were dilated as they fixed on the curve of her body. Rose's back was to me, long brown hair falling past her shoulder blades in tempting waves, and I was grateful that I could not see the look on her face.

Since I was not officially on duty, I didn't need to defer to another guardian prior to my departure, so without any preamble, I slipped away and back to my room. I was in a foul mood. Someone or something was threatening the princess on my watch, and there was next to nothing I could do about it with the school barring my way. I didn't—I couldn't have another one of my charges die. I paced the length of my bedroom, the carpet wearing thin beneath my boots. Why did there always have to be something in my way? Why couldn't I protect my charge? What was wrong with me?

And Rose. I felt my lip curl at the thought of her, of what she did to me. The brewing fire in her dark eyes, constantly teasing and prodding at my sense of duty with their licking flames. I had only known her for a short while, and yet she had me questioning myself with every glance, every accidental touch of her skin against mine. A yell rose from between my clenched teeth, and I swept a pile of books to the floor in an effort to channel some of the newly discovered emotion coursing through me. My hands went to my head, clutching at my own hair as I levelled deep breaths in and out, gradually forcing my jaw loose so it wouldn't cramp. She was even taking my attention away from what really should have mattered most: my charge. Vasilisa Dragomir was supposed to be the center of my attention and concern, not the way her dhampir sidekick made me _feel_ , the way Rose sometimes made me worry that my heart might beat directly from my chest.

This was ridiculous. This entire thought process was something I had no business entertaining, nor was it anything productive. I was soaking in self-pity and pointless anger instead of finding any sort of solution to anything. I crouched to pick up the evidence of my brief loss of control, mentally apologizing to the books sprawled haphazardly across the carpet. Just as I straightened, there was a knock on my door, meek and timid even in the force put behind it. I threw the door open, surely looking somewhat wild, and the janitor on the threshold gasped and took a startled step back.

"Yes?" I asked, wincing and wishing it hadn't come out sounding more like a bark.

"G—Guardian Belikov?" The female dhampir's voice shook slightly. She clutched a rag in her callused hands, casting her eyes between my face and the floor.

"Yes. What is it you need?"

"Um, Guardian Belikov, I just…" She stroked the hair from her face and back into her ponytail, trailing off.

Slightly irritated now, I sighed. "You…?"

She cleared her throat and straightened her spine, suddenly brave. "I don't want to overstep any boundaries Guardian Belikov, but I believe I just witnessed your new student and a royal student sneaking around in the empty dhampir dorms. Miss Hathaway has never been anything but trouble with those royals, and I just thought you should be the one to handle it this time. Perhaps she'll take the punishment better from her mentor."

Slumping, as if drained from her outburst, the janitor added in a squeak, "Sir."

I grabbed for my duster, the tamed irritability flowing back into my bloodstream with ease. I'd known Rose was going to act out soon enough, and this was a blessing compared to what other horrors she could have caused. I wasn't angry because of her decision to do something reckless, but more because I knew exactly which royal she would have chosen to indulge with.

 **/**

Jesse Zeklos was a certifiable pain in my ass. He was a pompous teenage lord that I'd seen throw fits reminiscent of a toddler denied their golden spoon when he didn't get his way, and now he was a pompous teenage Lord who was stealing my student's attention away from her already shaky goals. There was a positive side I could focus on, though; before, I'd always been stuck to the sidelines watching as his Lordship was handled carefully and without discipline in his moments of rebelliousness, because God forbid word get back to his parents. But now I had been handed an opportunity to spew a few truths at the boy myself, without Kirova there to hold a shield over Jesse's sensitive royal ego.

I was preparing a small, scolding, and gently threatening lecture as I stalked down the eerily quiet fourth floor. It was always in silence like this where I found it easiest to think, the only sounds being my footfalls against carpet and the building settling into comfort around me, like an old man shifting position in his favorite chair. I took one look at the broken lock of the lounge's door and rolled my eyes. If they really wanted to avoid getting caught, they could have picked the lock of an empty dorm room, making it more difficult for anyone to pinpoint their location. But whatever.

I should have opened the door as soon as I approached, but I found myself hovering outside of it, listening. I scoffed lightly at my own actions. If I was so curious, maybe I should have started reading dramas instead of westerns.

"Hey," Jesse Zeklos exclaimed. He sounded extremely surprised. "Have you done it before?"

"No. Of course not," Rose scoffed defensively, and in the silence the feel of my pulse kicking into my chest at the sound of her voice was difficult to ignore. There was a discernible pause in which I could imagine any number of things happening behind the closed door.

I started to move forward, but found myself unable to grasp the broken handle of the door. Was I afraid of what I might see on the other side, or afraid…of something else?

"You act like you have." He said, voice slick and oily. "You got excited when I was by your neck."

Realization slammed into me with a force that almost sent me a step back. They were talking about drinking blood. He was antagonizing her about something she'd sacrificed in order to protect her best friend.

"You're a good kisser," I heard Rose quickly defend, shooing his suspicions away with barely concealed urgency. "Don't you think everyone would know if I was giving blood?"

"Unless you were doing it before you left. You did it while you were gone, didn't you? You fed Lissa." Jesse exclaimed, dawning realization and a sick tinge of excitement in his voice.

"Of course not," Rose repeated with a scoff.

"It was the only way. You didn't have any feeders. Oh, man." He said the last two words as if he had stumbled upon a goldmine, and I felt something unpleasant stir in my stomach. Teenagers were vicious creatures when it came to secrets, and my head dropped to my chest in defeated anticipation of what Jesse would do with this new information. Even if he wanted to, he would never be able to keep his mouth shut and respect Rose's privacy over his own desire for popularity.

"She found some. Plenty of humans are into it." Rose said, her confidence audibly shrinking. I changed my perception of Jesse from rat to snake when I heard the predatory note in his voice as he replied, "Sure."

"I'm not a blood whore," Rose growled. I had to go in there. Stop him. Rose didn't want any of this.

"But you _want_ to. You like it. All you dhamp girls do." His voice was full of elevated cockiness, and I suddenly wanted to wring his neck. How dare he treat her like this. Like she was a toy for him to play with, push her buttons and see what she offered. My anger in that moment wasn't only for Rose's sake, but for the sake of my mother, and my sisters, and for all of the dhampir women treated like nothing by Moroi men, every fucking day.

"Stop it," Rose said softly, seductively. "I told you, I'm not like that."

I listened intently now, my thoughts muffled by some rising tide of emotion I didn't have the consciousness to dissect at the moment.

"But if you want something to do with your mouth, I can give you some ideas." Rose purred, and any color other than vivid red ceased to exist in my line of sight. There was a strange ringing in my ears, and all of a sudden I was in front of the Zeklos boy, holding him by the front of his shirt. I think I may have kicked the door in. I had the idle thought that it was a good thing it had already been broken beforehand.

"What's your name?" I demanded of Jesse Zeklos, though of course I already knew it. I wondered if he had any inkling as to who I was, but he probably had no clue. Too caught up in his own inconsequential world to recognize the faces of the people that protected his life.

"J—Jesse, sir. Jesse Zeklos, sir." He stuttered out, eyes glazed over with fear.

"Mr. Zeklos," I said, foregoing the title of 'Lord'. "do you have permission to be in this part of the dorm?" I wondered if he would lie to me, or if he would be smart enough to tell me the truth.

"No, sir." He said with a bob of his Adam's apple.

"Do you know the rules about male and female interactions around here?"

Did he know the basic concepts of respect? Obviously not.

"Yes, sir." He muttered, blue eyes widened and fixed on my face. I almost wished he would fight back so that I could dole out a proper threatening and terrifying rant, or even something a tad more physical. But he was too cowardly, too afraid to say anything but 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir'. A bit startled at my own sudden thirst for violence, I decided I had to end this before I actually did something I would regret.

"Then I suggest you get out of here before I turn you over to someone who will punish you accordingly. If I ever see you like this again"—I gestured vaguely in the direction I thought Rose was in, though I hadn't even looked at her from the moment I'd barged in there like some sort of raging wild boar— " _I_ willbe the one to punish you. And it will hurt. A lot."

His bravado completely absent, he nodded frantically. "Yes, sir!"

"Then _go_ ," I snarled, flinging him away from me. As soon as he had been released, he sprinted from the room in a way that would have been vaguely worthy of laughter if I hadn't been so full of anger. I watched him go with my jaw clenched so tightly I wondered if it would ever be the same again. Once his hurried footsteps had tapered off, I turned my gaze to Rose. Before I was able to process words, my mind was taken hostage by her image. She sat, like a dream, tucked into the side of an old couch, clad only in a pair of jeans and a black, lacy bra which her cleavage tumbled out the top of. Her face was wonderfully flushed, her hair rustled in attractive tangles, her lips swollen and parted as she stared back at me in surprise.

I felt my face relax, and wondered if I could spend forever here, staring at her. She was more captivating than any work of art I had ever seen. My heart, which had already been beating faster than normal, now kicked into cardiac arrest territory as I hungrily surveyed the length of her tanned body. Even better than I had imagined. I felt a distinct tightening from my lower half, and if that hadn't snapped me out of my lustful daze, Rose's sudden words did.

"See something you like?"

 _Yes._

I averted my eyes, unable to think properly. "Get dressed." I said, wondering if she could hear it in my voice. This was not good, not at all. Having these sorts of—inclinations—towards my own student. I suddenly felt disgusted with myself. The factor of her age wasn't even the biggest thing—I'd grown up within a town where people married someone twice their age, and it was barely worth a "congrats" and a pat on the back. She was my student, and we were supposed to have a professional relationship. We were supposed to be focused on the common goal of guarding the princess.

So why was I only focused on her?

"How'd you find me? Following me to make sure I don't run away?" And she sounded uncomfortable. Oh, God. Had she noticed my thoughts? _Was I the creepy teacher?_

"Be quiet." I snapped. I leaned down so that I could look into her lazy brown gaze. "A janitor saw you and reported it. Do you have any idea how stupid this was?"

"I know, I know, the whole probation thing, right?"

"Not just that. I'm talking about the stupidity of getting into _that_ sort of situation in the first place."

What was I, her father? I tried to tell myself that this was typical behavior, that Rose hadn't really done a horrible thing here. But Jesse's tone as he uttered that one syllable, "sure," kept creeping back into my mind, playing on repeat.

"I get into _that_ kind of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal." Rose said snottily, and anger flared to life again. God, she was infuriating. And I hated that she called me Comrade when she was mad. It made the usually affectionate nickname come out sounding like a barb of poisoned wire.

"Stop calling me that. You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Sure I do." She brushed off casually. "I had to do a report on Russia and the R.S.S.R last year."

"U.S.S.R." I corrected. "And it is a big deal for a Moroi to be with a dhampir girl. They like to brag."

 _And spread rumors_ , I thought.

"So?" Rose said, and I wondered if the rumors about her really were so true with how flippant she was acting.

 _"So?"_ I repeated incredulously.

Something like promiscuity wouldn't affect my opinion of her personality, but something like that would so surely negatively impact her career, and I knew she had such real, promising potential that it was a tragedy to think of her never being able to earn the respect she deserved.

"So don't you have any respect? Think about Lissa. You make yourself look cheap." As I heard that come out of my mouth, I tried to stop myself because I knew I was wading into dangerous territory. But it kept on coming. "You live up to what a lot of people already think of dhampir girls, and it reflects bad on her. And me."

"Oh, I see. Is that what this is about? Am I hurting your big, bad male pride? Are you afraid I'll ruin your reputation?" No, I was afraid she was going to ruin hers, and it pissed me off that she was being so aloof about it.

"My reputation is already made, Rose. I set my standards and lived up to them long ago. What you choose to do with yours remains to be seen. Now get back to your room—" I could barely believe the words that spilled from my mouth next. "—If you can manage it without throwing yourself at someone else."

"Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut?" Rose replied, voice deadly in its low, curious tone. She wasn't going to back down. Good.

"I hear the stories you guys tell. I've heard stories about you." _Are they true, are they true?_

Rose was silent for too long then. She stared at the floor, fingers curling in and out of the fabric of the sofa she sat on. Her eyebrows were furrowed down into the skin of her forehead, and when she looked back up at me it was like a punch in the stomach to see her pushing back tears. "Why is it wrong to…I don't know, have fun? I'm seventeen, you know? I should be able to enjoy it."

A wave of sympathy came over me. It wasn't often that I remembered Rose was only seventeen. She always acted so tough, and abrasive, and in charge that I sometimes forgot she probably had as little idea what she was doing as any other teenager. I could tell by the look she was giving me that she was sorry, even if she wouldn't say it. I tried to keep my voice stern, but it came out softer than before.

"You're seventeen, and in less than a year, someone's life and death will be in your hands." I sighed, giving her the stark and sad truth of her career as a guardian. I wished she could have fun too. "If you were human or Moroi, you could have fun. You could do things other girls do."

I could remember my grandmother giving me a very similar speech, one night when I'd come home late after Ivan had invited me to my first real party. I, being the only lightweight Russian in existence, had been incoherent after only a few drinks, and she'd been sitting silently at the kitchen table when I stumbled in through the door. To this day, that conversation had been one of the most humiliating events in my life.

"But you're saying I can't." Rose's voice was a loosened guitar string in the way it warbled precariously past her lips.

I took a deep breath and looked away from her. If I kept staring into her tragic eyes I was going to rush forward and envelop her in my arms, and that was something I had to avoid at all costs until these strange feelings left me.

"When I was seventeen, I met Ivan Zeklos. We weren't like you and Lissa, but we became friends, and he requested me as his guardian when I graduated." I shouldn't have been opening up like this again, but I almost seemed to like talking about these things with Rose. It made me feel inexplicably as if bricks of cement were being lifted from my heart with every passing word out of my mouth. "I was top student in my school. I paid attention to everything in my classes, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's how it is in life. One slip, one distraction…" I sighed, recalling all the mistakes I'd ever made. "And it's too late."

"Jesse's a Zeklos,"

"I know."

"Does it bother you?" He bothered me. "Does he remind you of Ivan?"

In none of the ways it mattered. He was too cold, too selfish to be compared to Ivan.

"It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how any of us feel."

The mantra, they come first, pounded through my skull.

"But it does bother you." My head snapped up. Rose's gaze was suddenly very clear, as if she had dissected an unbreakable theory. "You hurt." She said, and I felt myself flinch involuntarily. "Every day. Don't you?" Her voice softened, and the certainty in her voice made a lump rise in my throat.

"You miss him."

I did. I think I missed Ivan more than anything, and I thought about what I could have done better every day. And I did hurt for it.

I made my face shut down. "It doesn't matter how I feel. _They_ come first. Protecting them."

"Yeah. They do."

A long, surprisingly comfortable silence fell, before I decided to speak.

"You told me you want to fight, to really fight. Is that still true?"

"Yes." Rose perked up. "Absolutely."

"Rose…I can teach you, but I have to believe you're dedicated. Really dedicated. I can't have you distracted by things like this." I gestured around us. "Can I trust you?"

She looked at me with such meaningfulness that I knew then that I could trust her with everything. I could trust her; more than I think I could trust anyone. "Yes. I promise." She whispered.

"All right. I'll teach you, but I need you strong. I know you hate the running, but it really is necessary. You have no idea what Strigoi are like. The school tries to prepare you, but until you've seen how strong they are and how fast…well, you can't even imagine. So I can't stop the running and conditioning. If you want to learn more about fighting, we need to add more trainings. It'll take up more of your time. You won't have much left for your homework or anything else. You'll be tired. A lot."

And there it was. Everything I'd been wanting to say to Rose had come tumbling out of my mouth with ease. It hadn't been so difficult. And better yet, she took the words in as if she had been expecting to hear them for a long time, and was finally in the place to accept them.

She nodded slowly, and stared into my eyes with the seriousness of a seasoned guardian. "It doesn't matter." She stated. "If you tell me to do it, I'll do it."

I almost wanted to laugh at the idea of a complacent, order-taking Rose Hathaway, but I believed she would listen when it really mattered. She was going to cooperate.

I almost couldn't believe it, but after studying her stoic expression for another moment, I was certain. "We'll start tomorrow." I said with a decisive nod.

We filed back out of the empty dorm, and once again, I felt as if another part of some massive puzzle had clicked contentedly into place.

 **Remember? Feedback? Hate it or moderately tolerate it? Let me know!**


	9. NOT AN UPDATE

**A/N:**

 **Hey, guys! I was just reflecting back on how much love this story has gotten so far, and thinking about how much I loved you guys for loving it as much as you do. So, I figured you deserved an update, since it has been a few months since I've updated the story. First off, I want you to know that I have not abandoned this story. I love writing from Dimitri's point of view, and I don't plan to stop anytime soon. My life, as are all the great excuses formed, is a bit of a mess. And just as it was pulling itself back into order, it was knocked off kilter again. I live in Florida, and our town was the worst affected by Hurricane Matthew. My house and neighborhood need a lot of repair, and we're currently running the fridge and the internet off of a generator seeing as our power pole was knocked down and needs completely redoing, which may take quite a long time to have done. I haven't even been back to school yet, and I'll probably be switching to virtual school for the rest of the year soon.**

 **Sorry to bore you guys with my self-pity, but my point was that at the moment I'm not super inclined to sit down and write much, but I've been beating myself up about it. Don't worry, I** ** _will_** **get back on track soon. Please don't stop following the story.**

 **Love you guys to the moon and back!**

 **xoxo**

 **-Alyssa**


	10. The Turn-around

The campus buzzed with gossip for the next several days. Most of it, unsurprisingly, was centered around my charge. The theories regarding the dead fox incident included everything from a desperate grab for attention, (from either Lissa or Rose) to the possibility of a dangerously twisted stalker. I kept a weather ear open for any whispers of Guardian Belikov having gone haywire on the school's most favored royal student, but thankfully, I hadn't yet heard a word mentioned of myself. I was lucky Jesse apparently hadn't decided to go to my superiors. Alberta might have let me off with a very stern warning to keep my hands to myself, but if Kirova had been notified, I would definitely be charged with threatening and violating a Moroi royal; an underage one at that. It really had been a very stupid, very careless thing for me to do. I had felt a sudden protective anger in defense of Rose, and I'd let my control slip. But no more. I had to snap out of it, and remember that I had a job to do here. I had a student to teach now, and I had to be more careful now than ever before with leashing my impulses.

Rose and I had been practicing for two extra hours every morning and every evening. She'd kept nicely to her word so far, and walked into the gym every day with determination set into her features. She didn't complain when I told her to run extra laps around the track, and hadn't been late once since our talk in the lounge a week ago. Something in Rose's demeanor had shifted, and though I wasn't proud of the way I'd acted, it seemed to have spurred something in her that none of my previous attempts had. I hadn't been at this teaching thing very long, but I'd gathered enough to observe that Rose was receptive to the "tough love" approach more so than anything else.

One day after her classes, though, Rose entered the gym with a decidedly morose air about her. She made no grand statement or jibe as she walked through the doors, and slunk tiredly to the bench at the far side of the gym. She sighed and plopped down on the seat, rubbing at her lower back as if she had a kink there. When the silence stretched a few moments too long, I stood, tossing my paperback onto the floor where I'd been sprawled. I walked over to stand in front of her, and my shadow cast itself over her slouched form. She really was so small, I thought.

"What is it, Rose?" I asked. Rose blinked up at me, as if only now realizing my presence. I felt my brow wrinkle in concern.

Just as soon as the dazed look had appeared on her face, it was covered by a tight-lipped quirk of her lips. She stood, tightening her ponytail resolutely and avoiding eye contact with me. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about something. Are you going to come run laps with me, or stay in here and read your book like a wimp?"

I should have just let it go, and told her to run her laps like any other mentor would have. It wasn't my business anyway.

But when she tried to move past me, I caught her arm without thinking. She stiffened when I didn't immediately let go. "Rose," I warned. "Tell me what's wrong."

When she only stubbornly pursed her lips in response, I shrugged. "You can either tell me, or you can do nothing but run laps for the next two months." I really had no place to threaten such a thing. She was allowed to have her own personal conflicts and deal with them on her own, and it wasn't right for me to pry at that. My mentor certainly hadn't been personally concerned with me this way in our first few months of training. Nonetheless, I reasoned that her emotional state could influence the amount of effort she put into her lessons, so I continued on anyway. After several seconds of tense silence, she gave in with a tiny sigh of defeat.

"It really is nothing, I just..." she trailed off, and removed her arm from my now lax grip. "I feel helpless, Dimitri. Every day I watch my classmates kick ass, and I still can't stay on my feet long enough to get in a good hit. And we haven't figured out who planted that fox, which means Lissa's still in danger here and there's nothing I can do about it." She pushed strands of her dark hair back into her ponytail, her eyes wide and desperate. She threw her hands up and let them slap back against her thighs with frustration. "I don't know if I'll ever catch up in time to take my trials, and I'm just feeling so... freaking hopeless."

There was a stretch of quiet as I took in her words and she collected herself. I hadn't been prepared for that, and I didn't know how to respond in a way that would help her.

"But, I'll be fine. I'll get over it." Rose reassured me, turning and almost making it out of the gym's doors before I remembered to go after her. I followed her out onto the track, the mountain chill nipping at my skin. Rose stopped to stretch under one of the massive lamps that lined the asphalt track, and I trailed behind her, quiet. I wasn't good at or used to talking about things like this, but I had to say something. I had no doubt that she would be able to "get over it", but I didn't want to make her do it alone. She wasn't alone in this. I was supposed to help her. That's exactly what I could say, I guessed.

"Rose..." I started, and she paused, standing still in the halo of lamplight. "You aren't alone in this. All of us feel hopeless sometimes, but that doesn't mean that things _are_ hopeless. You're bound to feel overwhelmed, with the way you take responsibility for Lissa the way you do. You have to realize that you aren't a guardian yet. There's only so much you can do as just a novice."

"Everybody keeps telling me that, that I'm not a guardian!" Rose exclaimed. "But that's the problem; what if I can't ever become one now? How do I make sure Lissa's safe if I can't even get my promise mark?"

I sighed, at a loss for what to say for a moment. Rose had so much potential to be an amazing guardian, and I could see her quickly climbing her way towards the top of this mountain. If only she could stay on the right track and not get distracted or discouraged, I had no doubt that she would make it there.

"I know that this is difficult Rose, but you had to know you would be behind in your training. You've missed nearly two years of it."

She hung her head, dark ponytail swaying over her back. I watched her, smiling slightly at the odd similarities between Rose and myself. We both wanted to be the best of the best, and didn't have the patience to wait for it.

"I know I've already conveyed the need for discipline as a guardian, but there's also certain times to give yourself a break," I said, recalling the guilt and self hatred Ivan's death had plagued me with.

"We're in this together, Rose. For right now, Lissa is in a heavily warded facility, and she's got guardians with her wherever she goes. And just so you know..." I walked forward until I was standing by her side, and gave her a pointed smile. "A little more training, and I have no doubt you'll be kicking everyone's ass in sparring."

Rose gave a tentative grin, and let loose something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. "Thanks, Comrade." She looked up at me contemplatively for a moment before continuing.

"You know, you're pretty great at pep-talks. You're so quiet; I didn't know you had such zen wisdom hidden away in there."

 _Zen wisdom?_ I thought, but figured I would ask her later. "Come on, Comrade," Rose called, already starting her first lap around the track.

The next morning, I was woken from a dead sleep by someone knocking on my door. It was an efficient, curt sound, and I knew it had to be a guardian this time, not some timid janitor. I fell out of my bed, tangled in blankets as I braced myself against the floor. Damn these long legs. With a quick glance at my bedside clock, I saw that it was just past 7pm. They were probably already serving breakfast in the commons.

I flung my door open to find Alberta Petrov with her hand raised to knock again. Her usually impenetrable expression morphed into surprise, and then amusement as she took in the sight of me. I subconsciously smoothed down my rat's nest of hair, and then wished I hadn't when she seemed even further amused by the gesture.

"Slept in, Belikov?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Uh, Guardian Petrov," I stuttered, still stupid from sleep. I was never caught so unawares, and was usually awake and presentable well before my alarm clock went off. I couldn't have possibly slept through it...could I?

"I see you haven't had your coffee yet," she snickered. "I'll let you go back to getting ready; I was just sent to let you know that Kirova wants to see you in her office."

Oh, fuck. Jesse.

I gulped, and tried to avoid the oddly knowing look in the older guardian's eyes. Alberta always looked like she knew what you were up to, even when you didn't.

"Do you know why the Headmistress needs to see me?" I asked, as nonchalantly as possible.

"No clue, I'm just the messenger. I'd wager it has something to do with Rose, though."

"It always does," I muttered under my breath. Petrov grinned at my comment, then left me with the knowledge that Kirova would be expecting me in her office within the next ten minutes. I hurried around my room, throwing on my clothes with lightning speed and stuffing my feet into my boots. Glancing in the small mirror I had stationed near my door, I soon decided that my hair was a lost cause. I smoothed it back into a relatively neat ponytail and took the hallways with large strides all the way to Kirova's office.

I knocked before letting myself into Kirova's office, and she glanced up from some sort of paperwork on her desk with a perfunctory smile. "Ah, Guardian Belikov," she greeted. "You're just on time."

"Good morning, Headmistress," I nodded stiffly in her direction, all business. I hid my nervousness behind the mask of a remote, disciplined expression."Was there something that you needed to talk to me about?"

"As a matter of fact, yes..." she tore her eyes from the paperwork in front of her, and clasped her stick-like fingers in front of her. I had to fight not to break eye contact with her as she stared at me down the length of her crafted wooden desk. "How is Miss Hathaway progressing in her training sessions?"

Pretending to contemplate her question, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Jesse still hadn't gained the courage to get me fired, which made me think he was unlikely to now, so long after the incident in the lounge.

I nodded my head. "I think Rose is doing very well, especially considering all of the assignments she's had to catch up on in her other classes as well."

"Have you done any sparring exercises with her yet?" I felt like this was a trick question.

"Well, no, we haven't graduated to sparring quite yet. I don't know if she's..."

"Prepared?" the Headmistress intercepted. "Guardian Belikov, it has been a number of weeks since you began training Miss Hathaway. That added onto her every day classes, and she should at the least be adequately skilled at sparring by now. If you're telling me that is not the case, then..." I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Here we were, looking for an excuse to expel Rose, again.

"Headmistress, if I may," I interrupted bravely. Kirova sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, as if settling in for a show. "Rose _is_ sparring in her regular classes, though she's still very far behind compared to the other students. I do plan to start sparring sessions of our own in the next few days, and I have confidence that she'll be able to catch up fairly easily after that. Otherwise, Rose has been incredibly receptive in our lessons thus far. She's been respectful and very responsible, and more determined than any other novice I've met."

Kirova's eyebrows had shot up into her hairline, and she cleared her throat in the stiff silence left by my words. The description of Rose's character hadn't even needed to be exaggerated. She'd truly shaped up her act, and I was...proud of her. "Well, Guardian Belikov, I suppose we'll see about this new and improved Rose Hathaway you speak so confidently of."

Oh, hell. Tested against Kirova, that new and improved attitude may not go so well. I prayed Rose would be on her very best behavior from now on. "Yes, Headmistress."

Kirova directed her attention back to her paperwork, which I assumed meant I was dismissed, as if always did. I was almost out the door when she called me back, crooking a finger at me so I would again stand in front of her desk. "As you must know, Queen Tatiana is paying the academy a visit tomorrow, in occasion of All Saint's Day."

"Yes, Headmistress. I'm on guarding duty during the service." My brow wrinkled in confusion. What was she getting at?

"Good, good. Then you may keep an eye on Rosemarie's behavior. Tell her that I will allow her to attend the ceremony, if she pleases. I would like to put your claims of her reform to the test."

Kirova gave me a hard smile, as if she wanted to prove me wrong. "Please be aware, Guardian Belikov, that if anything unsavory should occur involving Miss Hathaway, you will both be called into question for it."

I swallowed against my dry throat, and bid her a good day as I left to go find Rose.

Rose was giddy when I gave her the news, and nodded obediently when I told her she'd have to behave herself. I knew her well enough now to know that she didn't care about the fancy dinner, much less the Queen. She was just excited to have a night standing by her best friend's side. I was glad I'd been the one to tell her she'd be allowed to attend, if only for the satisfaction of seeing her beatific smile directed solely at me.

The next day, only an hour or so before the banquet was set to start, Rose and I were finishing up our lessons for the day. I'd gone easy on her, and had even shown her a few sparring moves near the end of our time. I demonstrated a couple of things she could use to her advantage when fighting an opponent larger than her, which was bound to be nearly everyone. Her eyes studiously tracked my every movement with an intensity that left me slightly unbalanced, and I could only hope that her observant gaze hadn't caught the odd sense of unease she inspired in me.

I gave Rose a few chances at hand-to-hand sparring, and each time, unsurprisingly, I was able to bat her away like she was a fly. She'd properly used the techniques I'd just taught her, and was in fact doing quite well. I'd had years of experience though, and she had had none. Which was what I told her when she insisted she was doing something wrong.

"Whatever you say, Grandpa," she retorted easily. "Can we try it again?"

I glanced a the wall clock over her shoulder. Lately we had been extending our lessons for a few hours past our allotted time. I'd found myself enjoying the extra time I spent in her invigorating presence, and I was almost disappointed to see that it had already ended for today. But I knew Rose wouldn't want to be late to her first sanctioned social event of the year. "We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?"

Her eyes lit up, and I swore I saw a dreamy twinkle appear in their chocolate colored depths. "Hell, yeah, I do."

I shook my head in amusement at her, and made towards my gym bag. Rose was still behind me, and to my great surprise I heard her footsteps gaining faster on my heels. A battle cry escaped her as she threw herself toward my back. I spun just before she made contact, and took her tumbling to the matted floor. I hovered above her, greatly entertained. But that certainly wouldn't have worked if I were a Strigoi.

Rose seemed disbelieving that she hadn't gotten away with it. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time," I suggested, still holding her down by her wrists.

"Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?"

I pretended to mull it over, and said with a chuckle, "No, probably not."

Rose, keeping with the gently playful banter, gave a faux-disappointed sigh, and I felt a powerful and unexpected wave of fondness creep over me from head to toe. We were pressed together from the waist down, and her body was warm and exercise-loosened under mine. Our faces hovered inches apart, and with her wrists pinned above her head as I had them, I could smell her heady mixture of deodorant and hard earned sweat which had become strangely familiar to me over the course of our time together. Rose's lips had parted, her breathing was coming in quicker paces, and her eyes flicked searchingly over my face. If I just leaned forward a little, or let my weight go and lowered the rest of my body onto hers... I just wanted to be close enough to—

"So, um...you got any other moves to show me?" Rose's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I snapped back to my reasonable self immediately, though my head felt almost fuzzy now. For a few terrifying moments I was silent, because all I could think about were Rose's lips; how they might feel against mine, or the things they might like to whisper in my ear late into the night. It was hard to think of anything else. What the hell was I doing?

Pulling my face into check, I stood up, pulling Rose up with me. "Come on. We should go."

I didn't look back as Rose and I walked out of the gym, and neither of us said anything more. I made my way to my room, mentally flogging myself for my completely unprofessional actions and lack of control over my own mind and body. It was disturbing to admit to myself...

I knew from the beginning that I'd had some sort of idle attraction to Rose Hathaway, from the moment I'd met her panting and half dressed on a vacant street in Portland, almost wild in her protection of the princess. But the girl was seven years younger than me, and my student! Was this some sort of quarter-life crisis? Unfortunately, it felt all too genuine to be something so small.

I would admit to myself that I had these strange, magnetic feelings towards Rose, fine. But I could never act on them, and she could never know. Though, judging by the way her breathing had sped as I'd held her wrists in the gym, I had to wonder if she felt some semblance of the same thing I did. _It doesn't matter what she feels for you,_ I chastised myself. _She's seventeen. She'll get over whatever crush she might have on you eventually._

I knew Rose would forget whatever silly feelings she had for me. I just didn't know how easily I would be able to shake mine.

The banquet turned out beautifully. Looking at the luxuriant tablecloths and silverware, I might have thought I was in the royal palace instead of St. Vladimir's High School. I located Rose in the crowd immediately, though I didn't necessarily look for her. She was incognito, wearing a humble tan-colored sweater that seemed to soften her features. I directed my gaze away, staring forward.

Queen Tatiana entered, and every other person excluding us guardians dropped to one knee as was expected in the presence of the queen. She wore an extravagant red silk dress which swished along the floor as she walked. She moved through the crowd accordingly, nodding and smiling when it was appropriate. She came to a stop somewhere in the Moroi section, and all was silent.

"Vasilisa Dragomir," The Queen said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose move from her position in the crowd to get a better look, and to possibly go ask the Queen's business with her friend. I urged her to be careful for both of our sake, remembering Kirova's words. I found Kirova in the front of the room, but she hadn't seen Rose break protocol. She was as rapt as everybody else on Lissa and Queen Tatiana. The Queen gave her condolences on Lissa's parents and brother, as was expected.

"You have an interesting name," Queen Tatiana mused. "Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa. Vasilisa the Brave, Vasilisa the Beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries."

I could remember my mother reading the same stories to me once or twice as a child. I had truthfully been more interested in the stories my grandmother had told me, recounts of her own life as a guardian.

The queen went on to talk about the notorious Dragomir rulers who had fought bravely beside their guardians, and the crowd listened quietly, waiting for the queen to finish her praise of Vasilisa. Then she shocked the audience into a different sort of silence all together.

"Yes," Queen Tatiana continued, "you are doubly named with power. Your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor. " She paused a moment. "But, as you have demonstrated, names do not make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out."

An uncaring expression on her face, the queen continued on with her service, passing by rows and rows of gaping mouths.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Surprise, bitch. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.**

 **/**

After the shock of Queen Tatiana's scorned words against the princess, my gaze immediately sought out Rose. I easily found her distinct form in the crowd of novices, and I almost left my post to go calm her. I couldn't have her tackling the queen when Kirova had just barely allowed her to come to the banquet in the first place. Thankfully though, I saw Rose take a deep breath, and physically deflate from her defensive stance. By the expression on her face, she was trying valiantly to keep herself in check. Good, I thought cautiously. Maybe she was learning something of self-control after all.

For the entire dinner, I watched Rose like a hawk in case her show of inner-strength earlier had been a ruse, and she actually did try to sneak off and punch the queen in the mouth for what she'd said. Unfortunately, it didn't seem too far out of the realm of possibility. But thankfully, through the whole dinner Rose just sat, barely touching her food and constantly sneaking concerned glances in the princess's direction. She bit her lip and fidgeted nervously, and I assumed the princess's own inner feelings were adding to Rose's anxiety. I suddenly wondered the toll it must take on Rose—to always be in Lissa's mind, to know what the princess was thinking all the time. Did she actually _feel_ all of Lissa's emotions too, or did she just have a general knowledge of what they were at any given time? Was there a way for Rose to block out the bond, I wondered? Did the princess know when Rose was listening in? There were so many questions that buzzed around my mind that I had yet to ask Rose, too focused on trying to keep our relationship professional for such idle conversations.

It must be overwhelming to say the least, to have someone else's mind piggybacked onto your own...

"She's grown into a beautiful young woman, wouldn't you say?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by Victor Dashkov, who was standing slightly hunched as always next to me. I blinked at him, surprised to see him standing there. I instantly chastised myself for losing my concentration once again due entirely to thoughts of Rose. I was a guardian, dammit, and a good one! I had to keep alert.

"I'm sorry, Prince Dashkov...who?" I intoned cautiously.

Prince Dashkov gave a jovial little laugh, launching into a minor coughing fit as a result. I looked behind him, but apparently he had managed to slip his personal guardians tonight. I was just going to offer him a glass of water when his coughing fit started to dissipate, and he repeated himself. "She's a remarkable young woman; Vasilisa is. I always knew there was something important about her, from the time she was just a child. Truly, remarkable," he repeated, a note of something akin to awe in his voice.

"Yes, Prince Dashkov, I am sure she will make a wonderful leader some day," I said, appeasing the sickly royal. I wasn't supposed to be distracted from my post, and surely Prince Dashkov knew that. Whatever the case, I wouldn't be rude to him. The older man probably missed having people to talk to after the rapid downfall of his health. He gave me a knowing look.

"What Tatiana said was out of line. Speaking to Vasilisa in that manner was unnecessary and childish of her, but alas...she is our queen, so I suppose I shall keep my lips sealed on the matter."

I made an effort to show no reaction to his words, though I wholeheartedly agreed. Lissa was technically the child, and though her family name was one of elegance and royalty, she still had plenty of time to live up to it. She was allowed to mess up as long as she made up for it later, as an adult. There was silence for a few moments, aside from the background chatter of the banquet goers. Us guardians were allowed to eat after the celebration, once the queen had left with her guardians and the students had gone back to their dorms.

"Guardian Belikov," started Prince Dashkov. "I must say that I am impressed with the progress you have made on our dear Rosemarie. She was always so stubborn and rebellious; I never thought she would make it to being a sanctioned guardian, if I'm being truthful. But..."

This had gotten my attention. I slid my gaze from the ground up to meet his green, benevolent eyes. He nodded his head as if agreeing with himself and continued, "Now with you as her mentor, I've seen a change in her. She listens to you as she does to no one else, Guardian Belikov." He smiled as if in on a secret and said, "I've never seen that girl favor anybody as much as she seems to favor you."

He chuckled, and reached out to pat my shoulder with a wrinkled, trembling hand. "Keep up the good work, son, and you may just make a guardian of her yet."

A frisson of warmth spread through my chest at the thought of Rose favoring me, as the prince had insinuated. I kept my guardian mask mostly in place, but nodded at Prince Dashkov appreciatively.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Miss Hathaway has been putting in a dedicated effort in her training lately. If I may say, her improvement is as much her doing as it is mine. She's the best student I could ask for, despite her reputation."

Not that I'd ever had another student to compare her to, or ever planned to. I had a feeling Rose would stand out anyway though, in the best and the worst ways possible.

Prince Dashkov stared at me for a moment, an almost calculating glint hidden in his gaze that I almost didn't catch. In a blink, the strange expression was gone, and I wondered if I was just imagining it. Before I could speculate on it further, the prince looked around, his lips pursed in confusion.

"Where is our lovely Miss Hathaway, anyway? After talking to her mentor, I would like to share my congratulations on her progress with her."

 _Crap_ , I thought, glancing toward the table she'd been sitting at only moments before. Her seat was empty, and it appeared the after party had just begun, the music louder than it was before and plates being cleared away. I darted my gaze across the room to where Vasilisa had been seated, and saw that she too had disappeared without me noticing. What a bad guardian I was turning into. _Shape up, Belikov!_ I told myself.

I excused myself from Dashkov hurriedly but with as much grace as possible, and scanned the room twice more before making my way outside to look for the two troublemakers. I prayed to whatever was out there watching that Rose hadn't gone and found herself a fight to get into within the last ten minutes. One thing was sure, both of them were bound to keep me on my toes until graduation and probably afterward. Walking through the garden outside of the double doors, I could hear raised voices, and swore I could feel the tension blow past me on the breeze. I followed the voices like a dog following the scent of blood. If I knew my student as well as I thought I did, that's where she would be, at the center of the action.

That's when I heard her, from a distance, but loud and clear. Her voice was like a growl,"Yeah? Try and touch me now and find out."

I looked up to see a group of girls surrounding Lissa and Rose, the latter of the two standing between the princess and the conflict as always. Their body language reminded for some reason of the gangs of feral cats that used to fight behind the bakery in Baia, except where Rose was like a lion defending a cub, the others were just fat, spoiled house-cats in comparison. Rose made eye contact with me as soon as I caught sight of her, and her aggression seemed to calm slightly. Either way, I had to get them out of this situation and get Rose back to her dorm, before this night made a turn for the worse. I quickened my pace and came to stand next to Rose, the princess now practically hidden behind us both. An almost palpable heat radiated from Rose, and her breathing was labored. I wondered what the group of catty girls had said to set off her temper.

"Everything all right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the opposing group of girls. I noticed that the Rinaldi girl was in the center, a smug look pointed at Rose.

"Sure thing, Guardian Belikov," Rose said with stiff nonchalance. I blinked at her usage of my correct title. "We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's _fascinating_." Rose's tone was coldly furious, a scary kind of calm.

"Come on," the Rinaldi girl beckoned her followers, striding away as the princess almost cowered behind us. The girl made sure to throw back a nasty look, but it was nothing to rival the look Rose shot back at her. The tension was insanely thick.

"I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm," I said. Rose continued to stare blankly at the direction the group had disappeared in. "You weren't just about to start a fight, were you?"

"Of course not. I don't start fights where people can see them." _I drag them into the woods where no one can hear the screams,_ was left unsaid.

"Rose," the princess groaned. I'd almost forgotten about her, she'd been so quiet during the little debacle. Rose still didn't look away from the doorway. Christ.

"Let's go," I said abruptly, motioning for Rose to follow me. "Goodnight, Princess."

Rose acted as if I hadn't spoken. "You going to be okay, Liss?"

I glanced back to see the princess's eyes just starting to glaze with the hint of tears. "I told you, I'm fine. You've got to go," she tried to shoo Rose off, but it was anything but convincing. Rose looked between us, sighed, and reluctantly followed in my direction, leaving Lissa to herself.

As we neared the other side of the garden, when I thought it was safe to begin talking I said, "We may need to add an extra training on self-control." My comment was more of a joke than it was serious. Rose did obviously need some practice with self-control, but from what I had seen lately, she was doing fine all on her own. That was several times now I'd seen her holding her rage back, fighting her opponent with words and logic instead of the blind violence that had gotten her in trouble in the past.

I almost laughed at the indignant look that crossed her face. "I have plenty of self contr—hey!"

Tasha Ozera's nephew, a certain Christian Ozera, was seemingly trying to sneak past us towards Lissa's direction. Rose stopped in her tracks, reminding me of a barking German Shepherd. "You going to see Lissa?"

Christian paused, looking almost sheepish before he straightened his back and shoved his fists in the pockets of his pants."What if I am?" he challenged.

Rose's temper was like a ticking time bomb tonight. "Rose, this isn't the time," I tried to reason. It was no use.

"Why don't you just leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you?" My eyebrows shot up to my hairline at that one. Rose was never intentionally vicious. What was wrong with her all of a sudden?

"You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She's told me all about your weird obsession—how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her," Rose carried on. "She thinks you're a freak, but she's too nice to say anything."

Christian's face paled considerably. He didn't deserve this kind of blatant bullying, and I couldn't believe of all people, Rose was the one inflicting it. Tasha had always talked highly of the boy, and though he was an outcast after what his parents had done, it wasn't fair to treat him this way because of their actions. I thought Rose would be the kind of person to realize that.

"But _you_ aren't too nice?" he retorted in a low voice, clearly embarrassed but unwilling to show it.

"No. Not when I feel sorry for someone."

"Enough," I stated warningly, disappointed in her behavior. Just when I had been thinking her self-control had improved. I steered Rose away, keeping a hand firmly on her shoulder as we walked.

"Thanks for helping, then," Christian seethed behind us.

"No problem," Rose snapped back, unable to glance all the way over her shoulder because of the grip I had on it. Always one to get the last word.

Finally, when we'd walked a ways in silence and I felt Rose's posture relax, I let go of her, still walking close enough to her that our arms brushed against each other, just in case she tried to escape as I escorted her back to her dorm.

Though now that I looked at her, I thought that was probably the least likely scenario. Her posture was defeated, instead of cocky as I might have expected. Her feet shuffled along the pavement as she walked. If there were such a thing as seeing someone's aura, I thought Rose's would be a mixture of gray and dark, melancholy blue.

I sighed, stopping a few hundred feet from the entrance to the dhampir dorms. Rose stopped along with me, probably expecting another lecture. "What's wrong? What was that back there?" I asked instead, keeping my voice gentle.

"Hell if I know," she mumbled, shaking her head. "Lissa's been hanging out with that Christian _jerk_ ," she spat. "I mean, what is that going to do to her, to her reputation? He's just not right. I mean, look at his parents, for God's sake."

There was silence for a moment before she added in a huff, "And I'm out of my favorite lip gloss, my lips are _really_ chapped, and _it's pissing me off_." She sniffed a little bit.

 _Oh, Roza,_ I thought exasperatedly. Something about the tone of her voice made me think that there was a lot more to her current mood than her friend having a crush on a boy she didn't like and a depleted supply of lip gloss. "You can't just judge somebody by their families mistakes or their past; I thought you of all people would know that."

Her eyes flicked up to my face dangerously. "What are you saying, that I've got a fucked up past? Guess you wouldn't be wrong," she scoffed.

My world narrowed suddenly, and my hand was tilting her face up towards mine before I knew what was happening. I made direct, stern eye contact with her. "Rose," I chastised. "You know that isn't what I meant. What I meant was that you're better than that. You're more mature than the kids—and even the teachers—that bully that boy for something that wasn't ever his fault. Come on, Rose..."

She gently removed her chin from my grasp, looked to the ground, and muttered something even my enhanced hearing didn't quite catch. "What was that?" I asked.

"I said," she mumbled, only slightly louder. "Even that doll-faced little bitch knows my parents never gave a shit about me."

 _Ah_ , I thought as my heart broke a little for her. There's the problem.

"Rose," I attempted, gently grabbing her wrist. She violently yanked out of my grasp. "No, Dimitri, forget it," she said. "Goodnight."

She began to walk away towards the dorms, but I couldn't let her go after such a revelation. I'd never seen her so vulnerable, so open, and I wanted to hold her and help her, and tell her everything would be okay. "Rose!" I tried reaching for her again but this time she almost growled, jogging away from me towards the dorms. Something small and cylindrical fell from the pocket of her jacket, seemingly unnoticed by her. It clanked hollowly against the pavement as Rose's rapid footsteps faded and she entered the dorms without a backward glance.

I sighed with frustration, looking in the direction she'd left for several minutes before I moved. God, she was going to kill me. I rubbed at my forehead, a headache forming slowly but surely. Why, _why_ did I care so damn much about this girl? And how could I stop myself from feeling this way?

After careful thought, I still couldn't answer that question. My thoughts kept relentlessly steering back to how I could make Rose feel better, how to put a smile on her face, how to comfort her. I walked as I wrestled with my thoughts, looking forward to a hot shower and a good book. I just wanted to put this day behind me. I stepped on something hard, and it rolled underneath my boot. I stooped down, and saw the light glaring off of the object that had fallen from Rose's pocket moments ago.

I laughed under my breath, and I suddenly had an idea on how to make her smile.

It was an empty tube of lip gloss.

 **/**

 **So...hello again! There are probably no readers left, but I had some sudden inspiration. I have been very busy the last years, and writing has been the last thing on my mind. I had a severe case of writer's block because of some depression, blah blah blah. I just felt bad for not updating and missed my story and my readers. So, please, review if you have the time. It will make me so happy! Love you all dearly!**

 **-your loving writer**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey, everybody! Thank you so so much for all the positive response to my last chapter. Believe me when I say that even if I couldn't respond, I read each and every review a few times over. To hopefully keep you guys happy, I'm posting another chapter, a pretty long one. I really hope you enjoy it! Happy reading...**

 **/**

For a long time after I arrived back in my dorm in the guardian building, I was unable to sleep. Most of my time that night was spent thinking, and staring at the tube of lip gloss I'd left lying on my bedside table as a reminder. I wondered when I would be able to make a special trip outside of the academy to replace it.

The longer I stared at it, the more I had to wonder what the Rinaldi girl had said to make Rose so clearly upset. Rose had implied it was something about her parents—neither of which she'd ever even mentioned aside from her derogatory comments the day she'd arrived back at the academy. I assumed the relationship was less than perfect with both parties, going by Rose's reaction and her general disinterest in mentioning either of them. Whatever the girl had said though, it had brought my student nearly to the point of tears, which I had almost begun to believe was impossible.

If she was still upset tomorrow, maybe I would consider asking the princess to talk to her—Rose hadn't wanted to talk to me about it, and I told myself that was fine. As much as it pained me to believe, maybe Rose just didn't trust me as much as I thought she did. And I was positive she would try to hide her distress from Vasilisa as well, because, as we both knew; _they come first._

I sighed, stretching my legs out on my too small twin-sized mattress. As rebellious as she appeared, as wild as Rose truly was, in ways many others didn't see, she was far too serious for someone her age. The way she protected her best friend was unlike anything I'd ever seen from a novice, and though impressive, it concerned me to think how isolated that left Rose. She protected the princess like she was a prized jewel, and though Rose was Lissa's best friend, it was almost like Rose didn't allow Lissa to completely reciprocate the friendship. The princess came first, and Rose viewed herself as only the protector.

I was pulled from my thoughts by my ringtone, startlingly harsh in the absolute quiet of the room. I blinked at the ceiling I must have been staring at unwavering for the last hour. If I'd stayed like that for just a few more minutes, I would have probably fallen asleep worrying about Rose. Putting those thoughts aside, I reached up onto my night stand for the thing. It wasn't a number I recognized. "Guardian Belikov," I answered, and then cleared my throat a few times to relieve the hoarseness of my voice.

A female voice answered back, sounding perturbed. "Guardian Belikov, I am sorry to bother you so late, but Rose Hathaway is here in the novice dorms insisting to see you. She says it's urgent," Her eye roll was practically tangible over the phone.

I glanced at my alarm clock—2:47pm. Whatever it was, it was urgent, despite what this dorm matron I was speaking with may believe. "Keep her there," I said. "I'll be there shortly." I hung up without waiting for a reply, then jumped from bed and dressed hurriedly. I stashed my stake in the back of my pants just in case, then bolted over to Rose's building. As I jogged there, my mind wandered around to different possibilities. Was my charge okay? Had she tried to make an escape after the situation with those girls earlier that night? Or was it Rose? Did she want to talk about the conversation she had refused to continue earlier? Was _Rose_ okay?

When I arrived, I got my answer. With only one look into her eyes, I knew two things; she hadn't gotten any sleep either, and there was something wrong with Lissa.

"Lissa." I stated, and Rose confirmed with a simple nod. I took off down the stairs, not even glancing at the dorm matron, and knew Rose would be following right on my heels. We were both silent the whole way to the Moroi student dorms, so I knew the princess couldn't be in serious physical danger. I took deep breaths, calming myself. No Strigoi had broken past the wards, I wasn't going to lose this charge like I had lost my last one.

As soon as we entered, Rose strode down the hall, past the matron of Lissa's building. "She's in the bathroom," Rose said over her shoulder. When the matron tried to follow her, I pulled her back and very briefly explained the bond and why we had both blown in like a hurricane in the middle of the vampire "night". The woman nodded, a concerned look coming to rest on her face. When she tried to follow Rose into the bathrooms, though, Rose held a hand up to stop her.

"She's too upset. Let me talk to her alone first," her voice was adamant, and I knew she was right. She knew Lissa better than anyone else. I trusted her to calm the princess easier than either I or the elderly dorm matron could.

When the woman attempted to argue, I put a halting had on the woman's shoulder. "Yes. Give them a minute."

The dorm matron reluctantly backed down, pursing her lips and going back to sit at her desk as Rose disappeared inside the bathroom. I could hear their voices echoing softly, though Rose kept her voice pitched low and soothing. When the silence dragged on for a moment though, I started to become concerned. I knocked on the door. "Rose?"

I thought of earlier that evening, when I'd forced Rose away from the princess, though she had clearly been upset. I suddenly wished I had let Rose stay to talk her down.

"Just a sec," Rose replied, sounding rushed. The dorm matron came back to the door.

"What is it?" she asked, looking suspicious.

"I don't know. Rose can handle the princess well on her own, but I'm going to give them another minute or so before I intervene."

"What if she's in need of medical attention?" she asked.

"Rose would have made us aware if that were the case," I assured her, becoming annoyed with her vigilance. Though I assumed that was her job, it was still slightly uncomfortable to have her breathing down my neck.

"I'm not so sure," she said, then louder, "We're coming in!"

She pushed past me into the bathroom, but I didn't have time to be annoyed when I laid eyes on the princess. Her face was covered in blood.

My past flashed before my eyes, and I felt like I couldn't breathe, for just a split second. Then I rushed to her, frantically inspecting her for wounds and not finding any. "It's not mine," the princess said, seeing my surely panicked expression. Her eyes shifted to the floor and she stuttered out, "It's...it's the rabbit's..."

Something else niggled at the back of my mind, a sense that that wasn't the whole truth. I assessed her once again, but still didn't find any obvious wounds or injuries...maybe it was only my fear talking. That had to be it. "What rabbit?" I asked.

With a shaking hand, Lissa pointed to the corner of the bathroom, at the trash can. "I cleaned it up. So Natalie wouldn't see." The princess still looked like she was going to be sick. The more I came to know my charge, the more I realized how sensitive she really was. She hated to see anything or anybody in pain. She couldn't seem to stand it. Rose and I both headed towards the trash can, and Rose lifted the lid off to reveal a bloody mess of paper towels and gore. It was truly awful; the mess wasn't even recognizable as a rabbit. The smell that wafted from it was pure decomposition, and I had to turn my face away. I thought I saw Rose swallow back a gag.

I strode back over to the princess. The smeared blood on her face was unsettling, so I handed her a wad of damp paper towels to clean herself off. When she had done that, I knelt down so I would be at eye level with her. Her green eyes stared back at me timidly, something in them begging for guidance. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and hoped she knew I would do everything in my power to get to the bottom of these horrifying "pranks".

"Tell me what happened."

After the princess had explained what she knew—which wasn't much more than I had already figured—she handed me a note she'd found along with the body of the rabbit. It was crumpled into a tight ball, and I carefully smoothed it out, holding it flat in my hand so Rose could read it over my shoulder.

 _I know what you are. You won't survive being here. I'll make sure of it. Leave now. It's the only way you might live through this._

The disturbing note was, of course, unsigned, and the handwriting was very plain and nondescript. Someone had obviously altered their handwriting so that it couldn't be accidentally traced back to them. The person killing these animals and leaving them for the princess to find was either sufficiently intelligent, or was being given orders by someone sufficiently intelligent. Whatever this was, I was sure it wasn't the work of a prankster, as Headmistress Kirova had been entitled to believe. These were threats, plain and simple, just as I'd thought in the first place.

The dorm matron gasped and went to fetch the headmistress, leaving the three of us stood in the ladies' bathroom. "Tell her we'll be at the clinic," I called after her. I turned back to the princess, who now seemed to have gone headfirst into shock. She wasn't crying anymore, just staring blankly. "You should lie down," I said, and wondered if she'd even heard me.

Rose stepped forward then, gently linking the princess's arm through her own. I noticed she had taken off her sweatshirt and covered Lissa with it, leaving Rose in just a tank top and pajama pants. "Come on, Liss. Let's get you out of here," she crooned, and slowly but surely the princess followed, her feet shuffling along with Rose's footsteps.

When we made it to the clinic, there was only one nurse stationed at the front desk. "Oh my," she gasped as we came in. "Is everything okay?"

She was a Moroi, with pin-straight blonde hair and brown eyes which widened at the state of us all. "There's been a bit of a situation, and I was worried Princess Dragomir had gone into shock. She wasn't physically injured, but I thought it might be safe to bring her in anyway."

The nurse looked concerned, but nodded. "Of course, sir. That was a smart move."

She held a hand out, beckoning us to follow her. "Come on sweetie, I'll just go ahead and check your vitals."

The nurse checked Lissa's temperature, used a stethoscope to listen to her heart and lungs, and lastly, shone a small pen-like flashlight in her eyes to check the dilation of her pupils. Rose and I had taken up place against the wall of the room, and the nurse left Lissa sitting on the cot to update us. "She seems fine, she's just a little shaken up. I'd just suggest that she try to get some sleep tonight. I could still call in Dr. Olendski, if you'd like her to have a full physical. Check for any broken bones, sprains, anything like that."

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Rose tense. Redirecting my attention, I politely declined the nurse's offer, and she smiled and left us to go finish her paperwork. When the nurse was out of sight, Rose let out a relieved sigh, her posture relaxing, and I quirked an eyebrow at her. Once I looked at her though, I found myself trying to stifle a smile. She looked ridiculously...adorable, standing against the wall in such correct guardian stance with wild bed-head, and clad in pajamas with little snowmen dancing across the front.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she caught my amused gaze. "What?" she asked defensively.

Before I had a chance to respond, the hospital curtain was torn to the side, and the princess, who had only just relaxed back onto her cot, startled awake and sat up. Headmistress Kirova and a few other school officials charged in. Kirova was dressed in a full suit, as always, and I wondered if she slept in it every night.

"What's happened? Vasilisa, explain right this instant."

"Who is responsible for this? Do you have any clue who has done this, Vasilisa?" another man I didn't know asked, stepping up beside Kirova and practically boxing the princess in. Lissa just stared, uncomprehending, her mouth slightly agape. She couldn't handle this tonight. Before I knew it, Rose had left my side and was standing in between Lissa and the inconsiderate school officials.

"Leave her alone!" Rose barked. "Can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it? Let her get some sleep first!"

Everyone paused, and I felt a surge of pride for Rose. The headmistress quickly recovered, though. "Miss Hathaway," she seethed. "You're out of line as usual. I don't even know what you're doing here."

Just as Rose opened her mouth to retort—no doubt something that would get her detention or worse—I intervened. "Headmistress," I spoke. "May I please speak with you outside?"

With reluctance, the headmistress followed me, her heels clacking as always on the hospital tile. "Yes, Guardian Belikov?" she started as soon as we were outside of the doors. "Going to say something else to defend your reckless, insubordinate student?"

She grimaced at me, in something I thought was supposed to have been a false smile. "Yes," I said. "Rose deserves to be by Vasilisa's side. Once again, Headmistress Kirova, due to the bond Rose _was_ the one who found the princess in distress."

"Nonetheless," Kirova whispered angrily, glancing back at the door to the hospital room. "Hathaway's presence only ever causes trouble, stress, and mayhem."

I scoffed, bravely. "On the contrary; the princess only ever finds solace in Rose's company. Vasilisa needs to stay calm and get rest, as the nurse has already said. The only way I am convinced that is possible is with Rose by her side. You can't deny the effect Rose has on her. Do you want the best for the princess or don't you?"

Kirova paused, pressing her lips together for lack of any other argument. She knew I had her on that one. Without another word, she straightened her back and strode back into the room. I followed slowly behind. She looked like she was in physical pain as she faced Rose and told her she was allowed to stay, and from the look on Rose's face she had planned to stay whether she was given permission or not. She did seem victorious at Kirova's reluctant conceding statement, though.

Kirova continued to inform the princess that they would discuss everything further in the morning, and that there would be a cleaning staff in to further inspect her room.

"Don't wake Natalie," Lissa said, her voice strained from the stress of the evening. "I don't want to scare her. I cleaned up everything in the room anyway."

The nurse from before leaned her head into the doorway, interrupting the conversation to ask if the princess wanted anything to eat or drink, drink presumably meaning anything from water to blood. With how pale she was, I was hoping Lissa would at least accept a feeder, but she declined and lay back down to rest.

The rest of the group filed out soon afterward, and when they did Rose relaxed enough to sit down beside Lissa's bed, reaching out to hold her hand. The princess hissed, and gave a short laugh. "Rose, your hands are like ice! And that's me talking."

I gave Rose a brief once over, and for the first time realized she was shivering slightly, goosebumps standing out along her bare arms. I would have surely offered her my duster if I thought she would accept it, and if the princess wasn't around. "I'm fine Liss, don't worry about me." Rose smiled, seeming only thankful that she was alright and out of harm's way for now. I stared a second longer before silently slipping from the room. I still wasn't completely convinced that those two didn't know more than they were letting on. It was just a matter of getting one of them to open up.

On the way out, I asked the nurse at the desk to bring another blanket in for Rose, just in case she'd want it. I doubted the stubborn woman— _girl—_ would accept it either way, but it was worth a shot.

After I left the hospital, I tried to investigate Lissa's room, but Kirova stood at the door and denied me entrance. She told me that they already had enough people combing around the room and didn't need another, but I knew the real reason she turned me away was because of my logical argument with her in the hallway of the hospital earlier. I didn't fight with her on the subject, doubtful I would find anything either way. I caught sight of Guardian Petrov as the door was shut in my face, attempting to question Natalie Dashkov, Lissa's roommate who was also Prince Dashkov's daughter. She looked vacant, only staring blankly at the floor. In shock, like the princess was.

With nothing more to do, I continued back to my room. In only a few hours I would need to be awake and starting my day, and I already knew I was going to be exhausted. For her sake, I decided to call off Rose's morning training, so maybe she'd be able to sleep in another hour or so; that was, if she decided to sleep at all tonight. As I lay in my bed, trying in vain to fall asleep, I thought. Who was doing this, and why? It was such an odd, demented choice of taunting. Dead, bloodied animals waiting to be found. But for what purpose? What was it supposed to signify? That the princess was next? Why make such a show of it, then? The thoughts swirled around my mind like an endless tornado. I was just too tired to figure it out, and didn't have enough of the facts to piece together the puzzle in the first place.

But maybe someone else did.

Finally, my thoughts centered, and I knew what the key to finding the culprit started with.

Rose took princess and ran for a reason; I'd known it before, but now I was certain. Their escape wasn't some random runaway, two girls wanting to get out on their own. They didn't have a choice. Rose had been protecting her from something, something big. Now I only had to find out what it was.

 **/**

The next morning—only a scant hour or two after the time I fell into a fitful sleep—I was tired, just as I thought I would be. I grabbed a strong coffee from the teacher's lounge, then ran the track several times to get my blood pumping. I hope Rose would still be sleeping. She had more stress than even a normal novice, and I knew it took a toll on her. She needed her rest, too.

I passed Guardian Petrov on the way out of the gym, and I could tell she hadn't gotten much rest either. Her investigations last night must have taken a few hours at the least. "Guardian Belikov," she greeted, attempting a smile. "I presume you know of what happened with your charge last night?"

"Yes, I was there through the whole thing. Rose had a dorm matron wake me up because she felt something off through the bond."

Alberta nodded, and her smile was more genuine this time. "Thank God for that girl. I honestly don't know where the princess would be without Rose and their bond."

"I agree with you there. Rose can be a handful, but when it comes to the princess...she truly does come first in Rose's mind. She would already lay her life down for Vasilisa. It's admirable."

"Yes, it is..." Alberta shook her head, running a weathered hand through her short cropped hair. "I can see how much you care for her, Belikov." My heart jumped in my throat, though I'm sure I kept my face straight.

"Rose needs that. Her mother was never around, and I tried to fill that role as well as I could, but she seems to respond to you much better. I'm glad to see her finally getting somewhere; you're a good mentor." She clapped me on the shoulder, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I reflected on the day I'd set out to find the girls, when Alberta had stopped me to talk about Rose. She had been more than right, I thought.

We bid each other a good day, but as I went to walk past her she called out again. "Hey, Belikov, I forgot to mention; there's going to be a meeting to discuss these threats against Vasilisa later, after classes have ended for the day. You're welcome to come and join in on the conversation."

I told her I would be there, as soon as my practices with Rose were over.

That afternoon, I ducked into the cafeteria to grab a sandwich, my stomach grumbling. The place was crowded, and there seemed to be a lot more conversation than there usually was. Likely rumors were spreading like wildfire; both about Lissa's queen scandal yesterday, and maybe even the news of the rabbit incident. I doubted the latter would have gotten out already, but you never knew with teenagers.

I stood in line, back against the wall and as usual, unnoticed. A Moroi girl a few people ahead of me stood, raptly chatting with her friend. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder, oblivious and probably uncaring of anyone else listening in on her conversation for how loud she was speaking. "Do you think it's true, do you think she _actually_ did that? With both of them?" her friend asked, sounding dumbfounded.

"Well, _duh,_ " the redhead scoffed. "And plus she always was a whore, anyway. Why wouldn't she?" she laughed a cruel little laugh, turned around, and collected her tray as if she'd been commenting on the weather. Huh. _Teenagers and their gossip_ , I thought. It was lethal.

Later on in my practice with Rose, she was oddly quiet, and seemed to slump a little more than usual. I figured she was just tired from the night before, but there was a look in her eyes that told me something else was off. More thoughts of her absentee parents, I wondered? _Her mother was never around,_ I remembered Alberta's words from earlier. I wondered if that Rinaldi girl had said something else to upset her. If I witnessed another occurrence like that, I decided I would have to report her. Keeping quiet wasn't worth the look on Rose's face.

We didn't say much of anything for the entire practice, which was highly unusual for Rose, and now I was becoming seriously concerned. I asked her to tell me what was bothering her, but she refused that there even was something wrong, and quickly made her escape. I sighed as she left, long curls swaying in their ponytail as she hurried out the gym doors. Her head was bowed as if to avoid anyone's gaze. I didn't chase after her, having learned from last night that it wouldn't help her any.

I dipped into the locker room to shower and change. When I got out, steam billowing around me, I heard voices. Two male voices, chatting animatedly. I doubted they even realized there was someone else in the locker room with them, or didn't care enough to check.

"Dude, can you believe that shit that went down in Slavic Art today? Never saw that coming."

The other boy scoffed, and I heard the sound of a gym bag being tossed on the floor. "Yeah, I believe it. What I can't believe is that Hathaway backed down from a fight! If she didn't fight, it's gotta be true; she slept with them, and she let them drink her blood. No doubt about it, man."

My mouth dropped open, and I had to stop myself from losing my grip on the towel around my waist. It was all starting to click. The horrible mood she'd been in earlier, the way she kept her gaze pointed at the ground, the unusually active gossip around the school. Oh, no.

There was the sound of a locker door opening, and the first boy snickered. "Yeah, but with Jesse and Ralf _Sarcozy_? Blood sharing and all? It's _gross_!"

After hearing that, I dressed in a flash and hurried out of the gym. I made it halfway to the novice dorms before I paused, remembering the way Rose had avoided me. As much as I just wanted to hold her and comfort her right now, I knew she wouldn't want to talk to me about it. With a heavy heart, I turned around, and fetched Lissa from the Moroi dorms. Oddly, I barely had to explain myself to her. She just followed me to Rose's dorm, stoic and silent. She knew her friend needed her.

I had the princess wait around the corner, and tentatively knocked on Rose's door. She opened the door with red-rimmed eyes, trying to hide herself behind her hair. It was no use; I could tell she had been crying, and it broke my heart to such an extent to see her broken down that it made me feel actual pain radiating through my chest. I looked away from her, unable to stand the sight without pulling her into my arms. I resisted.

"Are you okay?" I asked instead, a stupid question. Part of me hoped she would finally open up to me, let me in.

She wiped at her eyes, trying to straighten herself. "It doesn't matter if I am, remember?" She finally looked at me, eyebrows furrowing in genuine concern as she asked, "Is Lissa okay? This'll be hard on her."

I couldn't respond for a moment, too dumbfounded by the girl in front of me to answer her. After all of this, still, she put the princess first. I wondered if there would ever be a time or situation where Rose would put herself or anybody else before Lissa. Probably not, ever.

I didn't have any words, so I just silently motioned for her to follow me. Perplexed, she did. I opened the door to the stairwell where I'd hidden Lissa, and simply told Rose, "Five minutes." I left them alone to have their talk, hoping something would come of it and Rose would feel better. I found myself thinking that I would do nearly anything right now to put a smile on Rose's beautiful face...the thought scared me.

I fingered the tube of lip gloss in my pocket, which I'd been carrying around in case I had a sudden chance to leave the school and didn't forget it. God, it was wrong and unnatural to be having these feelings for her. She was my seventeen year old student, not to mention that she was one day supposed to be my guarding partner. I'd never felt so strongly for anybody in my life though, and I'd only just met her recently. I felt like I was falling down a rabbit hole, my impending landing inevitable. I didn't know if I'd be able to claw myself back out once I fell.

"Guardian Belikov!" Someone said from down the hall. It was Guardian Reynolds, one of the guardians who had helped me bring the girls back to the school. "What are you doing up here? You're gonna miss that meeting Petrov is holding."

I quickly came up with a lie, pointing to the other end of the hall at the bathrooms. "Rose and I just got finished with training for today. I'm waiting for her to come out of the bathroom, so I make sure she gets back to her room in one piece." I rolled my eyes to add texture to the lie. "I think it's a bit overkill, but Kirova's orders, so..." I trailed off, looking at him as if he should relate to my problems.

He agreed with an eye roll of his own and a pat on the shoulder before making his way down the hall. Once he'd disappeared, I stuck my head in to the stairwell. Rose was no longer crying, but there was an overwhelmed look of concern on her face. I wished I could give them more time. "You've got to get back inside, Rose, before someone finds out."

Not only would Rose be in trouble, I would probably be in even deeper shit for orchestrating and allowing it. Lissa quickly retreated, and Rose and I were left alone. I held the door open for her, and she brushed past me, the delicate smell of her shampoo wafting along with her. _God. Focus_ , I told myself. I checked my watch, realizing that Reynolds had been right. The meeting was starting now.

I escorted Rose to her door, but as she reached for the doorknob, I impulsively grabbed her hand. I just couldn't let her go without saying _something,_ dammit. "Do you feel any better now?" I asked.

Rose gave the tiniest of smiles. "Yeah, I do. Thank you for doing that. I probably would have been up here crying my eyes out for the rest of the night if you hadn't."

My heart felt like putty in my chest. I looked down, realizing I was still holding onto her hand. It was softer than I thought it would be, un-calloused. _I hate to see you in pain,_ I thought, but didn't dare say.

"Just... try to ignore them, Rose. The people who matter know the truth." I gave her hand a squeeze, and reluctantly let go. I couldn't say too much. Her fingers twitched.

I didn't mention how badly I wanted to hurt those dumb-asses for spreading those vile rumors, for hurting her. I didn't want to acknowledge even to myself how strong those urges were. I pushed it down, gave Rose a smile I hoped wasn't too revealing, and strode away.

 **/**

 **A/N: Wow, two chapters in how long? I could have even split this one up into two, but I figured I'd treat you guys to an extra long one. Again, I'm so happy and stunned that some of my readers are still here after everything and all this time. I'm equally as excited about my few new readers who have just happened upon the story; welcome guys, and thank you for reading along! Anyway, enough of my blabber. Please don't forget to review, it makes me so happy to read them. :) 3**

 **-Alyssa**


End file.
